By Peter A. Hubbard


MotorwayAmerica,com

(October 29, 2017) AUSTIN, Texas — Once the dust had settled after two days of hard driving on pastures and hillside gravel  at the Longhorn River Ranch west of Austin, the 2018 F150 emerged as the 2018 Truck of Texas, as voted on by some 75 members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA). 



This 24th annual Truck Rodeo is the group’s signature event, and perhaps the most anticipated of all competitions hosted by professional auto journalists in the U.S.  Over the years the event has expanded and now includes SUVs and CUVs as well as full-size and compact pickups. 

Over a dozen different nameplates competed for best-in-class recognition in 2 vehicle categories.  Sixty-four vehicles, with a combined value of over $4 million were evaluated during the three-day event, held Oct. 15 – 17. 



This year’s winner in the SUV class was the Volvo XC60, while the all-new Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport took home the trophy in the highly competitive CUV class.  This is the second year in a row that Volvo has snagged the trophy in the SUV class.  Last year the XC90 took home the award.

In addition to being named overall winner of the SUV Class, Jeep also took home three awards, with Dodge, Nissan and Infiniti also scoring wins. 

Mazda walked away with all three awards in the CUV category, with the CX-3, the CX-5 and CX-9 winning their respective categories in the compact, mid-size and full-size SUV classes.  The Alfa Romeo won the luxury CUV award.




The TAWA Truck Rodeo, sponsored in part by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), was held in the scenic Texas Hill Country as vehicles were tested both on local streets and on off-road courses. TAWA members were able to get a full experience of the vehicles driving on rough terrain, climbing rocks, crossing creeks and dodging exotic wildlife.

Engineers from the competing manufacturers were on hand to answer questions from journalists about the vehicles and to aid in the evaluation process. Vehicles are measured on their interior, exterior, value, performance and personal appeal.

“The competition was incredibly fierce at this year’s Texas Truck Rodeo,” TAWA President Nic Phillips said. “More than 70 member journalists put in more 300 hours of driving time evaluating the vehicles presented. The results in several categories are separated by the narrowest of margins, just tenths, and hundredths of a point, confirming just how competitive the trucks and utility vehicles are today,” Phillips said.

“Ford’s 2018 F-150 pickup, boosted by its extreme performance 2018 Raptor model along with updated EcoBoost engines and 10-speed transmissions, convinced our journalists to bestow the trophy,” he said. “Ram was the most overall awarded brand with five category wins, Mazda swept non-luxury CUVs, and Volvo’s all-new XC60 took CUV of Texas."

“With the new 2018 F-150, we’re honored to earn back-to-back Truck of Texas awards for F-Series, a recognition that speaks to the truck team’s dedication to our hard-working customers,” said Raj Nair, executive vice president of Ford North America. “That’s especially true here in Texas — truck capital of the world.”

Trophies earned during the competition will be presented at the upcoming San Antonio Auto Show, slated for the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, Nov. 9 – 12.

The 2018 award categories and winning vehicles were:

Truck of Texas: 2018 Ford F150
SUV of Texas: 2018 Volvo XC60
CUV of Texas: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport



TRUCK CATEGORY WINNERS
Heavy duty pickup truck: 2018 Ram 2500 Limited Tungsten
Best commercial vehicle: 2018 Nissan Titan King Cab SV
Luxury pickup truck: 2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Southfork
Off-road pickup: 2017 Ford F150 Raptor
Full-size pickup: 2018 Nissan Titan Midnight†Edition
Midsize pickup: 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro



TECHNOLOGY CATEGORIES
Best technology: Nissan Pro Pilot
Best connectivity: Volvo XC60
Best powertrain: Volvo XC60



SUV CATEGORY WINNERS
Off-road Utility Vehicle: 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Recon
Sub-Compact SUV: 2017 Jeep Renegade Desert Hawk
Compact SUV: 2018 Nissan Rogue Platinum
Mid-size Luxury SUV: 2018 Volvo XC60
Compact Luxury SUV: 2018 Infiniti QX30 Premium AWD
Full-size SUV: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Mid-size SUV: 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
Compact SUV: 2018 Nissan Rogue Platinum



CUV CATEGORIES WINNERS
Full-size CUV: 2018 Mazda CX9 Grand Touring AWD
Mid-size CUV: 2017 Mazda CX5 Grand Touring GT
Compact CUV: 2018 Mazda CX3 Grand Touring FWD
Luxury CUV: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport