Pontiac G8 Shortlisted for North American Car of the Year
The Australian-made Pontiac G8 has been shortlisted for the prestigious North American Car of the Year (COTY) award in 2009. Pontiac G8 is one of 14 semi-finalists for the esteemed award with the winner to be determined by a jury of 47 leading automotive journalists.
The vehicle has also been selected for three other North American COTY programs by leading U.S. automotive magazines. Motor Trend's "Car of the Year", Car and Driver's "The Ten Best" and Automobile Magazine's "Automobile All Stars" are all entry by invitation only.
Built at GM's Holden Vehicle Operations in Elizabeth, South Australia, exports of the Pontiac G8 to the United States commenced early in 2008.
With the North American automotive market the largest and most competitive in the world, the Pontiac G8 faced a high level of competition to be shortlisted for each award.
The nominations reinforce the global appeal of vehicles designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia.
This is the latest in a series of international accolades for vehicles built at Holden's Elizabeth plant in South Australia.
In 2004, the Pontiac GTO was shortlisted for the North American COTY. In 2006, WM Chevrolet Caprice won the Best Luxury Car at the Autocar Middle East Awards, and the VE Commodore was nominated for the prestigious World Car of the Year Awards, the only Australian-made car among the award's 28 nominees.
The North American COTY will be announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2009. Other contenders include Audi A4, BMW 1 Series, Cadillac CTS-V and Jaguar XF.
