Last year, the North American Car of the Year was the Chevrolet Malibu. The 2008 North American Truck of the Year was the Mazda CX-9. Here are the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists:

2009 North American Car of the Year nominees
Audi A4
BMW 1 Series
Cadillac CTS-V
Dodge Challenger
Ford Flex
Honda Fit
Hyundai Genesis
Jaguar XF
Lincoln MKS
Mazda 6
Nissan GT-R
Pontiac G8
Toyota Venza
Volkswagen Jetta TDI

2009 North American Truck of the Year nominees
BMW X6
Chevrolet Traverse
Dodge Ram
Ford F-150
Honda Pilot
Infiniti FX35/50
Kia Borrego
Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC
Nissan Murano
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan

For more info about the awards and the names of the jurors (those who vote) check out www.northamericancaroftheyear.org. You can also see lists of the previous finalists there, as well.

AutoMundo, the United States’ Spanish-language automotive enthusiast publication, has named the all-new Volvo S80 as its 2007 Car of the Year. The prestigious accolade which appears in the magazine’s April issue, follows the S80′s recent debut in the U.S. marketplace and echoes what others are saying about Volvo’s first V8-powered luxury sedan.

The S80 was selected for its revolutionary design, dynamic and youthful driving attributes and Volvo’s legendary safety systems. “The new 2007 Volvo S80 was really the obvious choice,” commented Jorge Koechlin, President and Editor-in-Chief of AutoMundo. “As the company’s first V8-powered car, it really breaks the mold of what AutoMundo has come to expect of Volvo’s cars.”

The all-new Volvo S80 went on sale in December with a starting price of $38,705 for the 235-horsepower inline-6 cylinder engine and $47,350 for the all-wheel-drive-equipped V8 with 311 horsepower. The S80 features a number of standard safety systems including SIPS (Side Impact Protection System), WHIPS (Whiplash Protection System) and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution. It also features many driver-assistance systems such as Volvo’s Blind Spot Information System (BLIS), Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Warning and Ready Alert Brakes with Electronic Brake Support.

AutoMundo magazine is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. Its mission is to publish a premium Spanish-language automotive magazine for the U.S. market with the most comprehensive editorial regarding all aspects of the automotive industry. AutoMundo strives to bring relevant, high-quality content to its Hispanic readers and car enthusiasts.

VCNA, part of the Volvo Car Corporation of Gothenburg, Sweden, provides marketing, sales, parts, service, technology and training support to Volvo automobile retailers in the United States, and oversees Volvo operations in Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Volvo has been building cars with Safety in mind for nearly 80 years.

The 2007 Volvo Cars model line-up includes: the award-winning S40 and its wagon counterpart the V50; the award-winning XC90; the sporty S60 sedan — including the award-winning performance sedan — S60 R and the performance wagon version — V70 R; the all-new flagship S80 luxury sedan; versatile V70 wagon and rugged XC70 (Cross Country); and, the new C70 convertible.