Consumers pick favorite vehicles and exhibit at The Chicago Auto Show

Chicago, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Consumer voters proclaimed their favorites in five categories in the Chicago Auto Show's third annual Best of Show balloting.

Winners in the contest's five categories were:
-- Best All-New Production Vehicle: Dodge Challenger (30 percent of vote)
-- Best Concept Vehicle: Cadillac CTS Coupe (19 percent of vote)
-- Best Chicago Auto Show World Introduction: Dodge Challenger (56 percent of vote)
-- Best Exhibit: Chevrolet (25 percent of vote)
-- Vehicle I'd most like to have in my driveway: Chevrolet Camaro "Bumblebee" (8 percent of vote)

Nine finalists in four categories were selected by a panel of elite automotive journalists during the show's two-day media preview. The fifth category, "Vehicle I'd Most Like to Have in My Driveway," allowed voters to choose from any vehicle on the show floor and write in their selection.

According to the results, nearly one-third of the voters considered the Dodge Challenger the Best All-New Production Vehicle at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, followed by the Shelby GT500KR with 18 percent of the vote.

In the Best of Show's tightest race, only four percentage points separated the top four finishers in "Vehicle I'd most like to have in my driveway." The Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee gathered eight percent of the vote, chased closely by the Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and Nissan GT-R. Proving that star power still counts, the yellow and black Camaro Bumblebee concept car was featured in the live-action-adventure film, "Transformers."

Dodge Challenger handily took Best Chicago Auto Show World Introduction. In second was the GMC Denali XT concept hybrid pickup truck.

Gathering 19 percent of the vote, the angular Cadillac CTS Coupe squeaked out a victory as the Best Concept Car. The sporty Dodge Zeo finished a close second with 16 percent of the vote.

Wrestling the crown of Best Exhibit away from Jeep's two-year stranglehold was Chevrolet. The Bow-Tie brand grabbed 25 percent of the vote versus Jeep's 22 percent. It's interesting to note that the Chevrolet exhibit was part of a massive and expanded General Motors display that was the largest the American automaker has ever assembled, anywhere.

The Chicago Auto Show is the nation's largest and celebrated its 100th edition in 2008, making it the first show anywhere in the world to hit the triple-digit milepost. The show is produced by the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, the oldest and largest dealer association in the United States.

SOURCE Chicago Auto Show
CONTACT: Paul Brian, Director of Communications of Chicago Auto Show, Chicago Automobile Trade Association,
+1-630-495-2282 (main), +1-630-424-6069 (direct),
paulbrian@DriveChicago.com/
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Web site: http://ChicagoAutoShow.com

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Chevrolet Malibu named 2008 North American Car of the Year

Detroit, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - For the second consecutive year, a car from General Motors Corporation has taken top honors in the North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards, as announced today at the opening of the North American International Auto Show.

The Chevrolet Malibu was chosen by this year's media jury from a field of 15 cars and 13 trucks. GM vehicles captured four of the final six candidate spots for the awards; last year the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Silverado were winners.

"This award is the result of our intensive efforts to put a renewed emphasis on design, execution and craftsmanship into our cars and trucks," said Bob Lutz, GM vice chairman. "We're honored that both automotive journalists and consumers are recognizing our efforts. The fact we had four of the six finalist vehicles is more than we could have hoped for."

The NACTOY awards are given annually by prominent automotive journalists who evaluate the vehicles on factors including value for the dollar, innovation, handling, performance, safety and driver satisfaction. This year's jury consisted of 45 automotive journalists from throughout the United States and Canada.

The 2008 Chevrolet Malibu delivers strong performance, fuel economy and refinement, wrapped in Chevrolet's global signature design. A broad range of detailed, well-appointed and efficient models is offered, including a fuel- saving Malibu Hybrid model. Sales of the new Malibu began last November.

"Our goal with the 2008 Malibu was to give customers a stylish, uncompromising package that can challenge even the most formidable competitors in the midsize segment," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "Customers are getting that message, because the new Malibus are selling faster than we can put them on dealers' lots."

Starting at $19,995 in the U.S., the Malibu had a 99-percent increase in retail sales this past December. The 2008 Malibu was designed and engineered for sale not only in the U.S., but also in Canada, Mexico, Israel and the Caymen Islands.

Other 2008 Model Awards for Malibu:

In early December, Car and Driver magazine published its "10 Best Cars" for 2008, and the Malibu, along with the Cadillac CTS and Chevrolet Corvette, all made the list. The Malibu was also chosen by Kelley Blue Book as "Best Redesigned Vehicle for 2008."

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is one of America's best-known and best-selling automotive brands. With the largest dealer network in the United States, Chevy is the leader in full-size trucks and the leader in sales of vehicles priced $35,000 and above. Chevy delivers expressive design, spirited performance and great value with standard features usually found only on more expensive vehicles. In the first nine months of 2007, sales of Chevrolet models around the world were up 3.2 percent.

The Chevrolet brand grew by 17.3 percent in Asia-Pacific, 31.6 percent in Europe and 24 percent n Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Chevrolet vehicles are sold in 133 countries.

More information on Chevrolet can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

NACOTY Juror Quotes about the Chevrolet Malibu:

Matt DeLorenzo, Road & Track: "Fresh new styling, high quality materials and a silky smooth drivetrain give this family car the feel of an entry level luxury car. The 6-speed automatic and V-6 power are standouts."

Michelle Krebs, Freelance: "The Chevrolet Malibu sets a new standard for the mid-size class."

Gary Witzenburg, Freelance: "This fine, affordable beauty brings Chevrolet - and General Motors - back big time into the volume mid-size sedan game. It's easily as good as anything near its price, and better than most."

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 274,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 35 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

SOURCE General Motors Corporation
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional media information visit
http://media.gm.com ./

CONTACT: Terry Rhadigan, Chevrolet Communications,
+1-313-667-9181, E-mail: terrence.rhadigan@gm.com;
Dayna Hart, GM Global Product Communications,
+1-313-667-0092, mobile +1-313-300-9660,
E-mail: dayna.hart@gm.com; or
Klaus-Peter Martin, GM Global Product Communications,
+1-313-665-3168, E-mail: klaus-peter.martin@gm.com/
Web site: http://media.gm.com
http://www.gm.com/
(GM)

COPYRIGHT © 2008 - ANTARANEWS