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Honda, Volvo, Lincoln are North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year

The Detroit Auto Show has officially kicked off, as it always does, with the announcement of the North American Car, Utility Vehicle and Truck of the Year winners. For 2018, those are the Honda Accord, Volvo XC60 and Lincoln Navigator, respectively. The Honda Accord beat out two other finalists, the Toyota Camry and the new Kia Stinger. The Accord stood out for its styling, drivability and standard equipment. The Volvo XC60 came out ahead of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Honda Odyssey minivan. It was chosen for its luxury, ride and value when equipped well. The Lincoln Navigator, a heavily updated model that remained true to the concept car on which it was based, beat the Ford Expedition, as well as the only pickup in the list, the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 (which was a finalist for Autoblog's own Technology of the Year Award). NACTOY juror Ron Sessions complimented the "more dramatic update" compared to the Expedition. "With its design now aligned with the Continental, the Navigator becomes an even more important image — and the profit-maker for Lincoln," he said. The NACTOY Awards have been around since 1994. A panel of 60 judges, all automotive journalists, whittle the list down to three finalists in each category before announcing the winners in January. The Utility Vehicle category was added for 2017. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2018 Honda Accord Touring 2.0T View 106 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Volvo XC60: First Drive View 22 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Lincoln Navigator: First Drive View 53 Photos News Source: NACTOY Auto News Detroit Auto Show Honda Lincoln Volvo Truck Crossover SUV Luxury Sedan 2018 detroit auto show north american car of the year NACTOY north american truck utility of the year

Automakers tussle over owners of 'orphan' makes

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.
R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those "orphan owners" have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Cadillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.
Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.

Lincoln hopes month-by-month leasing will woo luxury clients

Lincoln is launching a new subscription-based service that will allow customers to lease any of its vehicles on a month-by-month basis as part of a new suite of services aimed at offering flexibility and converting buyers. The luxury brand has also been operating a pilot program in which dealers bring Lincoln vehicles to consumers' homes for them to test drive on their own time — and sometimes even complete the entire sales process at their homes. Lincoln also announced on the heels of the L.A. Auto Show a new collaboration with Clear, a company that provides expedited screening at security gates at airports and sports arenas, plus an expansion of its Lincoln Personal Driver service, formerly known as Lincoln Chauffeur, to Dallas. Kumar Galhotra, Lincoln's president, said the company is trying to create a brand experience for consumers that is warm, human and effortless, and that the new services are based on consumer research that equates time with luxury. "We take this philosophy of warm, human and effortless, and we really embed it" in the vehicles and ownership experience, he said. Lincoln plans to launch its vehicle subscription service early next year, likely in "a couple California cities," Galhotra said, that allows consumers to lease any Lincoln vehicle on a monthly basis. While Lincoln did not announce pricing, the program is based on Ford Credit's Canvas program, which offers monthly subscriptions to pre-owned Ford vehicles and come with insurance, maintenance and warranty coverage. The service is so far offered only in the Bay Area and parts of Los Angeles. The service appears to be similar to the $1,500-a-month Book by Cadillac service and Care by Volvo. Robert Parker, Lincoln's global director of marketing, sales and service, said the service will allow consumers the option of upgrading to larger-size vehicles without being locked into a traditional two-year lease. "We acknowledge the fact that we are a challenger brand. We're not at the scale of the Germans," Parker said. "We certainly aspire to continue to grow, that's not our No. 1 focus.