FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., July 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- It
kicked off 2015 with a buzz-generating surprise debut at the North American
International Auto Show in January, and now the popular Hyundai Santa Cruz has earned the
prestigious title of Concept Truck of the Year at the 14th annual North
American Concept Vehicle of the Year (NACVOTY) Awards at the Concours d'Elegance
of America at St. John's.
The Santa
Cruz was recognized as the Concept Truck of the Year for its design, style,
materials, technology, market visibility and market responsiveness – besting
the Kia Trail'Ster and Mitsubishi GC-PHEV. The award was presented by Mark
Phelan, auto critic at the Detroit Free Press and NACVOTY juror.
"The compact-truck segment in the U.S. is
tremendously competitive, and overall truck sales have skyrocketed to become
one of the best-selling segments in today's market," said Mike O'Brien,
vice president of corporate and product planning, Hyundai Motor America.
"Hyundai's new Santa
Cruz crossover truck concept is a modern take on the classic theme of one
of America's most-loved segments – the pickup truck. Unlike some of the
industry's past attempts to blend open bed utility with passenger car
attributes, Santa Cruz delivers
innovative functionality and flexibility in a compact, fun-to-drive package for
a new breed of pickup truck buyers. We are proud that the Santa Cruz got the vote of
approval as the Concept Truck of the Year from some of the auto industry's most
esteemed critics."
The NACVOTY awards recognize those vehicles most likely
to shape the future of the automobile industry. More than two dozen jurors
participated in a selection process that involved a total of 30 vehicles, each
introduced to North America during this season's auto shows in Los Angeles,
Detroit, Chicago, Toronto and New York.
"The Santa
Cruz is what the light-truck category needs - loads of style for people
without big loads," said Gary Vasilash, Automotive Design and Production
editor-in-chief and NACVOTY juror.
The innovative Hyundai
Santa Cruz crossover truck concept reflects a completely new interpretation of
truck utility for a new generation of buyers. The Santa Cruz concept meets the
unspoken needs of a growing millennial lifestyle that Hyundai calls "urban
adventurers." This new crossover provides urban adventurers the expandable
utility they need throughout their active week – from work-life professionalism
to social interests to a variety of outdoor pursuits –without the typical compromises
they have come to expect from the industry's current product offerings. The Santa Cruz
concept is purposely compact, and although it features four doors and seating
for five, its overall footprint is similar to that of a small CUV.
NORTH
AMERICAN CONCEPT VEHICLE OF THE YEAR
Founded in 2002, the North American Concept Vehicle of
the Year Awards recognize those concept vehicles that have made the strongest
impact in terms of automotive design, engineering and market responsiveness.
Professional automotive journalists from throughout North America, representing
dozens of outlets in virtually every media segment, serve as volunteer jurors
to select the award winners. The awards are given to the best Production
Preview Vehicle, Concept Car, Concept Truck and Most Significant Concept
Vehicle of each auto show season. To be eligible for the awards, a concept
vehicle must make its North American debut during the current model year's auto
show season.
HYUNDAI
MOTOR AMERICA
Hyundai Motor
America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai
Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United
States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 820
dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai
vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program, which
includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable new vehicle limited
warranty, Hyundai's 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and five
years of complimentary Roadside Assistance. Hyundai Blue Link Connected Care
provides owners of Hyundai models equipped with the Blue Link telematics system
with proactive safety and car care services complimentary for one year with
enrollment. These services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced
Roadside Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostic Alert, Monthly Vehicle Health Report
and In-Vehicle Service Scheduling.
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