GM sweeps North American Car and Truck of the Year awards - Autoblog

Hoooooowww????

 

...its in detroit, so expect alot of bias >_>

 

dont feel too bad, the saturn really isn't a saturn, it's made up of mostly opel parts..saturn is working its way to switching all of its car to be based off of opel ones...which would be sweet because opel does produce the most powerful hatch from the factory, the astra z20let

 

Detroit? No. It's the *North American* car/truck of the year. It's made up of 49 US and Canadian journalists. Honda swept it in 2006 with the Civic and the Ridgeline.

Fit whipped the Camry though.

 

GM does makes awesome powerful car but they hardly bring them to the US...here is a great example:








Opel Builds Most Powerful Corsa Ever
Engine
Type: Turbocharged Inline-4
Displacement cu in (cc): 97 (1598)
Power bhp (kW) at RPM: 192(141) / n.a.
Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: 170(230) / n.a.
Acceleration 0-60 mph s: 7.2
Top Speed mph (km/h): 140 (225)
Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km): n.a. (7.9)

Opel has shifted into top gear with the new Corsa OPC. The Opel Corsa OPC model is the quintessential expression of the Corsa’s dynamic character, with top-level agility and vehicle control promising pure driving fun. Its 1.6-liter turbo engine with 192 bhp accelerates the compact three-door from zero to 62 mph in 7.2 seconds and enables a top speed of 140 mph. The maximum torque of 170 lb-ft, which can be temporarily increased to over 192 lb-ft via an 'overboost' function, is delivered to the front wheels by the standard six-speed transmission. This level of performance provides the newest member of the sporty OPC family with superb propulsion power in all driving situations. The Corsa OPC requires 7.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, a moderate figure in this performance class. It makes its world premiere at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show in early March, shortly before its market launch.

The top-of-the-line Corsa OPC’s look also reflects pure sportiness. The roof spoiler, as well as the powerful front and rear aprons with distinctive gill-like air intakes and outlets make the OPC a real eye-catcher. Elements such as the darkly contrasting diffuser with integrated, centrally located triangular tailpipe and specially designed exterior mirrors are just a few examples of how much attention to detail was put into further developing the Corsa’s bold, sporty character.

The Corsa OPC’s chassis has a unique, even sportier character thanks to extensive modifications. Through intensive tuning drives on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, engineers were able to achieve a sophisticated balance of agile handling and pronounced vehicle control. Key modifications include a stronger rear axle profile and adjusted torsion beam rear axle weld-in angle, new spring/dampener tuning, lowering of the chassis by 0.4 inch and a larger stabilizer. The standard ESP system, which can be deactivated, has also been tuned to the car’s sporty character. The new Corsa OPC comes with 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/45 R17 tires ex works, while 18-inch rims and size 225 tires are available as an option. The large 16-inch brake system with blue painted brake calipers ensures powerful deceleration: the Corsa OPC boasts internally ventilated, 308 mm front disk brakes and 264 mm disk brakes at the rear.

Sportiness also dominates the Corsa OPC’s cockpit. In addition to the typical OPC door sills, chrome-ringed instruments with red pointers and blue-ringed air vents (also available in silver), the flat-bottomed leather sports steering wheel is especially eye-catching. Also reminiscent of motor sport vehicles, the steering wheel features a blue (or optionally silver) ring at its crown, while the center console in piano lacquer finish and aluminum pedals underline the sporty, high quality ambience. Particularly striking are the newly developed Recaro sports seats with integrated head restraints. The race-car-like seats protect both the driver and front passenger with integrated side airbags - a world premiere for this type of seat.

“The OPC models embody pure sportiness, infusing the brand with emotion and passion. That is why the OPC version fits brilliantly to the new Corsa, which is positioned as a young car offering plenty of fun,” says Alain Visser, Executive Director, European Opel Marketing.


now dont tell me that isn't the sexiest hatch from the factory...its about the size of the fit and aveo too :eek:

 

i was shopping for a car untill exactly week ago, and while i'm sertainly honda baised i think i still represented even if only small consumer group. i looked through bunch of cars (versa, mazda3, focus, cobalt, aveo, yaris, scion xa) just to have a big picture and make sure i'm not overlooking anything with my bias. after seeing the actual cars and made bunch of test drives i wasn't impressed with any domestic besides Aveo (still not that impressed, but gave it a serious consideration). we did look at saturn and somehow didn't find it nessesery to test drive it. call me pick or whatever but saturn and GM failed to build the car i would want to own and drive. and IMO it is their fault.

with that said, if the 49 independent journalists think that saturn is better, they are free to do so, but how many of them will buy the car though? i understand that I and my personal choice is not at all significant, but i still choose fit and alredy have put my money to prove it.

 

aveosam, if those european models were offered here my fit probably would have gone to someone else. i really like the european lineup.

 

that Corsa OPC is HOT!! i'd rock one!

**** US gets a lota shitty versions of cars sometimes, and even from our own manufacturers wtf.

 

Yeah that Opel is nice. GM should just eliminate every brand they own with the exception of Chevy (trucks/vans only), GMC (commercial trucks only), Saturn, SAAB, Opel, Vauxhall, and Holden. Then, distribute the exceptions that were previously stated worldwide.

 

The Fit won one award, best new car under $18,000 by the AJAC writers and is still in the running.


Canadian Car of the Year category winners named by AJAC - Auto Reviews Online

 

And just about every other major award went to the Fit, so let the Aura have one.

http://automobiles.honda.com/models/...Name=Fit&Num=0

Smart enough to wow even Popular Science.

The big brains at Popular Science recently held their 19th annual Best of What's New Showcase. And guess who made the cut. That's right...the Fit! According to the Popular Science gurus, it's a compact car that's "stuffed with tech." They specifically noted the Fit's advanced engineering features, like a peppy yet frugal VTEC® engine and its ingenious, configurable interior offering "SUV-like cargo space."