2007 Detroit Auto Show

The first show of the New Year always begins with the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), otherwise known as the Detroit Auto Show, the biggest and oldest auto show in the United States. This year the Motor City celebrates its 100th anniversary and will unveil over 45 new models to the press and public.

Car and Truck of the Year Winners
The first day in Detroit brought the announcements of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, an annual event that has been recurring for 14 years. In order for a vehicle to be eligible to win either award, it must have been substantially changed or an entirely new offering. Forty-nine journalists from Canada and the U.S. then select the vehicles based on their design safety, driver satisfaction and overall value.


This year's awards went to GM in both categories. The Truck of the Year honor was awarded to Chevrolet for the new Silverado pickup, and the Car of the Year award went to Saturn for the all-new Aura sedan.

Chevrolet Silverado
The Silverado was cited as has having a "great chassis, great powertrains, great drivability and great value by presenter Tony Swan of "Car and Driver" magazine. It is a striking design, which has been smoothed over by the team at GM: it is more luxurious, powerful and fuel efficient than its predecessor.

Saturn Aura
The Saturn Aura was praised for being nice to drive and full of standard features - making it a viable competitor to its foreign rivals. The car was also credited for having brought GM's Saturn division, a company that has struggled with its product lineup since its inception 16 years ago, back into play.