2012 North American Car of the Year Finalists All Developed in Dassault Systèmes’ CATIA

Dassault Systèmes a world leader in 3D and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), announced that the six finalist vehicles in the 2012 North American Car/Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards were all developed using CATIA, long recognized as the leading design solution in the automotive industry. The finalists within the car category are the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Passat, while the truck finalists are the BMW X3, the Honda CR-V and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. 

“We congratulate these finalists and recognize that each of them has developed an outstanding vehicle,” said Olivier Sappin, vice president, Transportation & Mobility Industry, Dassault Systèmes. “We feel honored that our solutions have played a part in helping these companies deliver exciting vehicles to the industry while meeting multiple criteria.” 

The NACTOY awards are unique in the United States since they are given by a coalition of no more than 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada, representing magazines, television, radio, newspapers and Web sites, and not by a single media outlet. The awards are financed by the jurors’ dues and NACTOY does not accept advertising from automakers. 

To be eligible, a vehicle must be completely new or substantially changed. The intent is to select a car and a truck that establishes new benchmarks in the classes in which they compete. Jurors evaluate the vehicles on factors including value for the dollar, innovation, handling, performance, safety and driver satisfaction. 

After considering dozens of vehicles this year, the jurors finally voted on 17 cars and seven trucks, which were then narrowed down to three in each category. The jurors will now vote again on these three finalists. The winner of each category will be announced on Monday, January 9 at 7:15 a.m. EST, the opening press day of the North American International Auto Show. 

The world’s leading car and truck manufacturers have been relying on Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions (e.g. CATIA, DELMIA, ENOVIA and SIMULIA) for nearly 30 years. Today, the world’s major automakers recognize the value Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions bring to the design, safety and eco-sustainability of their automotive, transportation and mobility products. 

Dassault Systèmes’ latest Version 6 has made next generation PLM possible with a unique and new approach to the technology. This single, open and scalable platform enables automakers to collaborate across their global enterprise and supply chain, allowing for innovative practices while providing full traceability throughout the vehicle lifecycle. Users can simulate how vehicle will perform, be built and experienced by the customer before making any capital investment. 

For more information on Dassault Systemes automotive solutions, visit www.3ds.com/automotive