''North American Car of the Year'' and ''North American Truck of the Year'' (NACTOY) honors (www.northamericancaroftheyear.org) have been awarded since 1994 using a process patterned after the ''Car of the Year'' that for decades has been the most prestigious auto award in Europe. The jury is composed of no more than 50 auto writers and broadcasters from across the US and Canada, most of whom have covered the industry and its products for decades. Each juror pays annual dues to cover expenses and is forbidden from doing any work that is paid for by a vehicle manufacturer or its advertising agency.

Jurors drive, analyze and evaluate candidate vehicles on a variety of criteria including design, technology, innovation, ride handling, performance, safety, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. Their goal is to select the one car and one truck that best establish new benchmarks in their respective classes. To be eligible, candidate vehicles must be all new or substantially changed from the previous model and be available for sale no later than early January.

The process begins each year with a ''long list'' of every qualifying car and truck. A mid-September initial vote narrows that to pair of ''short lists'' of 10-15 semi-finalists in each category. A second round of voting in early December, using ballots sent directly to the Detroit office of the distinguished accounting firm Deloitte & Touche, chooses three car and three truck finalists, which are announced at the mid-December Detroit Economic Club Luncheon.

A third vote in early January - with the ballots again sent directly to Deloitte & Touche for tabulation -determines the two winners, which are unveiled at the first Sunday morning press conference of the North American International Automobile Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. And while the awards are announced at the NAIAS, the show and its staff have no involvement with them.

The winners this year:

1. Car of the Year - Hyundai Genesis
2. Truck of the Year - Ford F-150

To be eligible, vehicles must be ''all-new'' or ''substantially changed'' from the previous model. This year the jury considered more than fifty 2009 vehicles and settled on 14 cars and 11 trucks that deserved to be on the ballot.

The car finalists were the Ford Flex, Hyundai Genesis and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The truck finalists were the Dodge Ram, the Ford F-150 and the Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC. The Genesis received 189 points, the Flex received 180 and the Jetta TDI received 131. The F-150 received 259 points, the Ram received 167 points and the Mercedes received 74 points.

Hyundai Genesis
The Hyundai Genesis is a rear-wheel drive, full-size car introduced initially as a concept car in the 2007 New York International Auto Show. It is the first full-size car for the marquee sold in North America since the Azera is an upper mid-size car.

The company has targeted 55,000 sales of the Genesis in 2008 (35,000 in Korea and another 20,000 overseas) and 45,000 in 2009, with sales goals of 50,000 per year in the US. According to the Hyundai Chairman and CEO Chung Mong-koo, the Genesis is Hyundai's first entry into the European dominated luxury arena. According to Hyundai Vice Chairman Kim Dong-jin, the name Genesis is a reflection that the vehicle is the first of many premium cars the company will introduce.

Standard features on all models in the US include cruise control, automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic air conditioning, leather seat-upholstery and steering wheel, heated front seats with power adjustments, power windows, door locks, and mirrors, remote keyless entry and starting, and a seven-speaker audio system with XM satellite radio.

The Genesis V6 model has a starting price of $33,000, while the V8 model starts at $38,000, including destination charge. According to Hyundai Motor America's current Genesis website, the US engines are projected to 290, and 375 hp for the 3.8L V6, and the 4.6L V8 respectively.

Ford F-150
The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company sold for over five decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150. It was the best-selling vehicle in the US for 23 years and has been the best-selling truck for 31 years, though this does not include combined sales of GM pickup trucks. Analysts estimate that the F-Series alone makes up half of the Ford Motor Company's profits in recent years.

Ford revealed the next generation 2009 F-150 design at the North American International Auto Show in January 2008. Production of the series began in October 2008 at Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant. The truck features a larger and more flexible interior, an updated three-bar grille, and additional choices of cab styles and trim levels.

The chassis includes a lighter-weight, high strength steel for better fuel economy and safety and improved payload and towing capacity. Three engines are initially offered with the 2009 redesign: a revised 5.4 L 3-valve Triton V8 that is E85 capable with a new output rating of 320 hp and 529 N-m of torque, a 292 hp 4.6 L 3-valve V8, and a 248 hp 4.6 L 2-valve V8.

(Also see: Troubled auto makers keep Detroit Auto Show flag flying)