Vehicles Designed with More Aluminum Win at 2018 North American International Auto Show

DETROIT, Jan. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The aluminum-intensive 2018 Lincoln Navigator was named Truck of the Year and the 2018 Honda Accord was named Car of the Year in the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) Awards, announced Monday, Jan. 15 at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). This is the second consecutive year an aluminum-intensive vehicle has won a NACTOY award, a testament to the growing consensus that aluminum builds better cars and trucks, delivering on consumer preference for exceptional performance, safety ratings, fuel efficiency, durability, towing capability and sustainability. The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica was named North American Car Utility Vehicle of the Year in 2017.

Lincoln redesigned the 2018 Navigator with an all-aluminum body that helps the vehicle shed nearly 200 pounds of weight. This class-leading vehicle has an 8,700-pound towing capacity and EPA-estimated 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined.

The 2018 Honda Accord features a new aluminum-intensive chassis, control arms and subframe. The use of aluminum helps downweight the vehicle by 110 to 176 pounds overall, depending on the trim. 

For more than 24 years, the NACTOY Awards has recognized the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. The awards are both highly competitive and diversified, with a jury of independent automotive journalists from the United States and Canada, rather than a single publication or news station.

Lincoln's 2018 Navigator and Honda's 2018 Accord are just two of the many aluminum-intensive vehicles nominated for a NACTOY award at 2018 NAIAS

Other finalists include:

2018 Ford Expedition (NACTOY Truck of the Year finalist)

• The first vehicle redesign in 20 years helps generate more power than its predecessor with a 9,300-pound towing capacity.
• The new aluminum body drops 300 pounds and achieves the best fuel economy in its class with an EPA-estimated 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined.

2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio (NACTOY Utility of the Year finalist)

• The Stelvio is significantly lighter than its competition, with an aluminum-intensive architecture.

2018 Honda Odyssey (NACTOY Utility of the Year finalist)

• This multi-material vehicle shed 96 pounds through a combination of materials including aluminum.

2018 Toyota Camry (NACTOY Car of the Year finalist)

• This vehicle's aluminum hood helped to reduce the overall weight.

2018 Kia Niro (NACTOY Utility of the Year semi-finalist)

• The Niro's aluminum hood, tailgate, assorted suspension components and brake rotors help boost fuel economy to 52 mpg in the city and 49 mpg on the highway.

2018 Lexus LC500 (NACTOY Car of the Year semi-finalist) 

• A Lexus first, this vehicle features an aluminum hood, shock towers and outer doors. 
• The redesigned Lexus LC500 maintains an EPA-estimated 16 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 19 mpg combined.

2018 Hyundai Ionic (NACTOY Car of the Year semi-finalist)

• Hyundai reduced the vehicle's weight by 27 pounds with an aluminum hood and tailgate.

2018 Audi A5 Sportback (NACTOY Car of the Year semi-finalist)

• Audi uses a multi-material body construction of steel and aluminum in their 2018 A5.

Automakers continue to choose aluminum as the material of choice in the ever-changing industry climate, according to a recent study by Ducker Worldwide.

"It's no wonder Car and Truck of the Year winners innovate with aluminum. From performance, safety and durability, to fuel economy, battery range and emissions, aluminum delivers in every category consumers demand in new cars and trucks. That's why recent surveys of automakers confirm aluminum is the fastest growing material, leading the multi-material trend. It's also why the U.S. aluminum industry invested more than 2.3 billion dollars in domestic automotive capacity and we're poised to invest further as our customers continue to innovate with aluminum in next generation automobiles," said Heidi Brock, President & CEO of the Aluminum Association. 

Read more about aluminum's vast role as the material of choice in the automotive sector in 2018, and beyond, at DriveAluminum.org.

About the Aluminum Association
Through its Aluminum Transportation Group, the Aluminum Association communicates the benefits of aluminum in ground transportation applications to help accelerate its penetration through research programs and related outreach activities. The ATG's mission is to serve member companies and act as a central resource for the automotive and commercial vehicle industries on aluminum issues. Members of the ATG include: Alcoa Inc., Aleris, Aluminum Precision Products Inc., Arconic, Constellium, Hydro, Kaiser Aluminum, Novelis Inc., Rio Tinto Alcan, Sapa Group and Tri-Arrows Aluminum. Visit us online at DriveAluminum.org, and follow us on Twitter.

SOURCE The Aluminum Association, Inc.