Dodge Ram Laramie Longhorn named Truck of Texas
The Dodge Ram Laramie Longhorn edition was named as the TRUCK OF TEXAS after an extensive weekend of competition in the San Antonio – Bulverde area. The Laramie Longhorn follows in the footsteps on many great vehicles receiving the award in the 20-year history of the Texas Auto Writers Association.
Other top awards went to the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Juke, and Ford’s MyTouch system. Vehicles were arranged by categories, such as heavy-duty trucks, compact crossovers, or luxury SUV’s. Competition was intense, with each manufacturer bringing their best of the best. Workers were present all day, wiping the dirt and dust off. Individual winners were named for each category.
Almost 40 automotive journalists gathered for a long weekend of testing and evaluating approximately 60 trucks, SUV’s, and CUV’s in off-road and on-road areas. The majority of driving took place at the historic Knibbe Ranch near Canyon Lake. The test drive route took the journalists up and over steep rocky areas in the famed Texas Hill Country, through small ranch creeks, and along the gravel riverbed edge of the Guadalupe River. There were a few mishaps, including some cut tires on the sharp rocks and at least one vehicle bogging down in the swift-flowing waters of the Guadalupe.
Mike Herzing, current President of the Texas Auto Writers, commented, “This years’ Rodeo was filled with excitement, surprises, and extraordinary emphasis on products. Manufacturers all represented themselves with great vehicles and knowledgeable people.” Manufacturer representatives were more numerous than the journalists due to the coveted awards. The awards translate into more sales and more sales translate into more money for the car companies.
Public Relations representatives, engineers, designers, planners, and even executives were present to attempt influence in the evaluation and voting process. Mark Fields, President of the Americas for Ford and Fred Diaz, President of Ram Division for Dodge was both present, as were other high-ranking individuals. Although there were no overt attempts to “buy votes”, there were plenty of ball caps, tee-shirts, key chains, and other small items handed out to the voting journalists.
The trophies, custom-made belt buckles, and other awards will be presented at a special banquet to be held November 12, 2010 at Space Center Houston.
The Truck of Texas is the Dodge Ram Laramie Longhorn. The Laramie Longhorn had been unveiled at the State Fair of Texas in late September and is classified as a Full-Size Luxury pickup.
The SUV of Texas is the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Jeep’s popular SUV has had significant changes made to their newest model. The Jeep Grand Cherokee was introduced several months prior to the Rodeo and has had significant mention in the automotive press.
The CUV of Texas is the Nissan Juke, recently unveiled and new on the market. This small Crossover is based on a car platform but performs like a small SUV.
The Truck Line of Texas is Ford Motor Company, maintaining its significant emphasis on providing a wide variety of products for the buying public. The Most Outstanding Feature award also went to Ford Motor Company for its new MyFordTouch. MyFordTouch is an extension of the popular SYNC and uses voice interaction with controls for the radio, climate control, navigation, and more.
2010 Truck Rodeo Category awards included:
Full- Size SUV – Jeep Grand Cherokee 4×4
Mid-Size SUV- Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4×4
Compact SUV – Subaru Forester
Full-Size Luxury SUV – Cadillac Escalade Hybrid 4×4
Mid-Size Luxury SUV – Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
Full-Size Luxury CUV – Lincoln MKT
Mid-Size Luxury CUV – Cadillac SRX Turbo
Compact CUV – Nissan Juke
Mid-Size CUV – Ford Edge Limited
Full-Size CUV – Chevrolet Traverse AWD
Full-Size Pickup Truck – Ram 1500 Outdoorsman Crew Cab 4×4
Mid-Size Pickup Truck – Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4×2 Texas Addition
Luxury Pickup Truck – Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Heavy Duty Pickup Truck-Ram 2500 Power Wagon Crew Cab 4×4
http://www.examiner.com/
