CultureMap Auto Awards

Crossover Utility Vehicle of the Year: Audi Q7 TDI delivers a clean diesel ridefor the whole family

2012 Audi Q7 TDI - CultureMap 2012 CUV of the Year
Photo by Kevin McCauley
2013 Hyundai SantaFe Sport - Runner-up 2012 CultureMap CUV of the Year
Photo by Kevin McCauley

Editor's note: In the first annual CultureMap Auto Awards, automotive writers Nic Phillips and Kevin McCauley bestow honors in 10 categories for the top 2012 cars and trucks and explain why they're deserving of a good, hard look. Now for our second award:

CUV of the Year: Audi Q7 TDI

Crossovers are king when it comes to utility vehicles, offering the benefits of a SUV without the mostly unused off-road or heavy-duty capabilities of a truck-based SUV. Although there are many CUV options, when it comes to great fuel economy there are few, so it's the Audi Q7 TDI that gets our award.

With its turbo direct-injected clean diesel technology, coupled with a best-in-industry 8-speed automatic transmission, the Q7 delivers 28 mpg on the highway (22 mpg combined) without compromising a fun-to-drive disposition and family-pleasing, three-row accommodations.

While the 3.0L V6 diesel delivers only 240 horsepower, it's a whopping 406 lb-ft of torque that make the full-sized CUV feel fast while using less gas. Add to the mix understated Teutonic styling, the latest MMI navigation with slick Google Maps integration, an expansive panoramic sunroof, the performance and safety of Audi's legendary Quattro all-wheel-drive system, and a highly competitive starting price just below $53,000, and the Q7 TDI is a clear winner.

CUV Runner-up: 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport

It's remarkable to us how quickly Hyundai's newest models continue to improve and rightfully give their more established competition serious cause for concern. The all new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport is no exception.

Starting at just $24,450, the Santa Fe packs class-leading content and features typically found on higher-end utes in a sharp-looking and efficient package. We prefer the 2.0L twin-scroll turbo version, with its 264 hp delivering a good push back in the seat and 19-inch wheels giving a truly premium look.

Clever touches abound. This is the first ever utility vehicle with an in-floor storage space for the load-space cover when not in use.

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CultureMap Auto Awards

Car of the Year: Cadillac gets lean and mean, shattering those old-people-only myths

Photo by Kevin McCauley

2013 Cadillac ATS - CultureMap 2012 Car of the Year

Car of the Year: 2013 Cadillac ATS

Target the benchmark, bring something unique to the mix, now hope people will give it a chance. That's what Cadillac did in 2002 when it introduced the CTS, indicating the direction the storied brand take to shake its old-people-only image. It's been largely successful in doing that — our fanatical support of the super hot V-series is no secret — but the CTS suffered from being just that: large.

Although priced like a BMW 3-series, it's more 5-series in dimensions and, V-series aside, is dynamically not quite up to the BMW or Audi competition.

ATS changes all that, proving that America "really can do it" — build a compact luxury sedan that bests Germany's current offering. Dimensionally ATS is within an inch of the BMW 3-series, nearly an exact copy, except in the all-important weight and style categories; Cadillac takes the lead looking better and weighing less. Dynamically the ATS is a match for the 3-series, with nimble handling and a suspension properly sorted to hold the vehicle to the road without crashing over the bumps.

Whether in 4-cylinder turbo or naturally aspirated V6 form, the ATS has more horsepower and a decidedly American exhaust note.

The interior doesn't disappoint, blending "art and science" styling with a decidedly sporting character that has more personality than any other sport compact today. The Cadillac User Experience (CUE) tablet-like display dominates the dash, and its multitouch interface, coupled with a full color screen in the instrument cluster, go a long way in making passengers feel like they are in the most modern car on the road.

What's one greatest shortcoming of the ATS? Probably the perception of the Cadillac brand not being completely cleared of the aged clouds of the past for the younger, luxury sport sedan buyers. "Why would I drive a Cadillac when everyone I know drives a 3-series, A4, C-class?"

Get over it, buck the trend, support an American brand doing the right thing and get in the ATS. It's the real deal.

2013 Cadillac ATS - CultureMap 2012 Car of the Year

Photo by Kevin McCauley

2013 Cadillac ATS - CultureMap 2012 Car of the Year

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