POPULAR MECHANICS Names Winners of 2009 Automotive Excellence Awards

Vehicles and Technologies Recognized in Ten Categories

NEW YORK : October 31, 2008 - POPULAR MECHANICS, announced today the winners of the 2009 POPULAR MECHANICS Automotive Excellence Awards. Chosen by the magazine's expert editorial team, these awards recognize the best in automotive design, execution and technology for 2009 model year vehicles in ten specific categories.


"Our Automotive Excellence Awards honor the newest cars and trucks in the industry today," said James Meigs, editor-in-chief, POPULAR MECHANICS. "Our automotive team spends months with hands-on testing and research before honoring vehicles with our award. This year we are proud to recognize the ten best and brightest vehicles ever produced."

The recipients of the fourth annual POPULAR MECHANICS Automotive Excellence Awards :

• Design : Dodge Challenger
  
• Value : Honda Fit
  
• Fuel Efficiency : VW Jetta TDI
  
• Performance : Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
  
• Versatility: Ford Flex
  
• Fun to Drive: BMW 135i
  
• Off-Road Ability : Hummer H3T Alpha
  
• Technical Innovation: Cadillac Escalade With Platinum HID Headlights
  
• Luxury : Jaguar XF
  
• Workhorse : Ford F-150

Each year, to determine the winners of the POPULAR MECHANICS Automotive Excellence Awards, PM's editors drive more than 100 of the newest cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles, amassing well over 100,000 miles in the process. Through their experiences on extended test drives around the world, instrumented comparison tests and longer-term evaluations, the auto team nominates a list of vehicles in each category.

Those selections are put to a vote and the top recipients in each category win an Automotive Excellence Award. The auto team is led by Automotive Editor Ben Stewart, working with Senior Automotive Editor Mike Allen, Detroit Editor Larry Webster and Editor-in-Chief James Meigs.

[Source : POPULAR MECHANICS]