Decatur, TX –November 1, 2022 – The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the award winners of the 2023 TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo. This year’s event was held in Decatur, Texas at the spectacular Eagles Canyon Raceway. The awards were announced in partnership with the Houston Auto Show on November 1, 2022 at 3:00pm Central Standard Time.
Automotive journalists from across the state tested a cross-section of the world’s most capable vehicles at this year’s event held on October 3-4, 2022. TAWA members evaluated vehicles based on their interior, exterior, value, performance and overall personal appeal. This year’s attendees rated vehicles from automakers including Acura, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Ram, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen and Wagoneer.
This year the title award categories were Truck of Texas and Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas. An additional 11 category awards, one feature-based award and 5 calculated merit awards were also awarded by TAWA’s Member Journalists.
“The Texas Auto Writers Association thanks and congratulates all automotive members and partners for joining us for this year’s Texas Truck Rodeo. We are delighted to give special congratulations to the title and category winners of the 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo,” said TAWA President Teia Collier. “To experience and put these world-class vehicles through their paces at Eagles Canyon Raceway is a rugged opportunity to see what these legendary machines can do.”
The Ram 1500 was named the 2023 Truck of Texas and serves as a reminder of Texas’ love and appreciation of a capable, full-size pickup truck. The all-new 2023 Toyota Sequoia was named the 2023 Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas.
QUOTE FROM RAM:
“Texas is the world’s largest pickup truck market so Ram 1500 winning the Truck of Texas title is truly a significant accomplishment,” said Mike Koval Jr., Ram brand CEO. “The Texas Auto Writers Association has a long tradition of recognizing the best truck available for the hard-working needs of Texas truck buyers. We are honored the Ram 1500 has captured this year’s prestigious award.”
QUOTE FROM TOYOTA:
“The all-new Toyota Sequoia provides all the room, technology, power and efficiency our customers need, and we appreciate TAWA recognizing all that the Sequoia offers,” said Mike Sweers, executive chief engineer for the Toyota Tundra, Sequoia, Tacoma and 4Runner vehicle programs at Toyota Motor North America, Research and Development (TMNA R&D). “After the successful launch of the Tundra, which TAWA named Truck of Texas at the 2021 Truck Rodeo, we are excited to be accelerating into the next chapter in our truck-family story with the Sequoia.”
QUOTE FROM GENESIS:
“Genesis is humbled to be recognized by the Texas Auto Writers Association. We are pleased that GV60 has been warmly received by industry experts in the region, and we look forward to introducing this model to Texas customers in the near future.” - Claudia Marquez, Chief Operating Officer, Genesis Motor North America
QUOTE FROM MAZDA:
“We’re thrilled to continue our recent regional recognitions for the 2023 Mazda CX-50 through Texas Auto Writers Association’s Texas Truck Rodeo,” states Mazda North American Operations Southern Region General Manager, Spencer Bridges. “The organization's events throughout this year have allowed the Mazda CX-50 to showcase its expansive capabilities, both on- and off-road while keeping the driver confident.”
“As the world continues to evolve, the role of the automotive media professional continues to be reshaped by world events, the new buying patterns of consumers and the new offers being created by automakers,” said Collier. “Now more than ever, buyers are looking for reliable, current information about the vehicles available, the energy sources powering them and the companies that create them. The need for timely, reliable journalism has never been more important as a challenging year for the automotive industry continues into 2023.”
“The vehicles represented at the 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo brought new levels of efficiency, and capability to meet the needs of the modern buyer and automotive enthusiasts that do not want to choose between function and performance. We saw advancements in technology, safety and beautiful displays of automotive design. After experiencing this year’s competitive class, we cannot help but feel excited and optimistic about the future of the industry,” said Collier.
A special thank you and recognition to Katzkin Leather for sponsorship of the 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo and to the Houston Auto and Boat Show, DriveShop and Prestige Auto for the continued support through the years.
2023 Texas Truck Rodeo Winners
TITLE AWARDS
CATEGORY AWARDS
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COMPACT SUV: MAZDA CX-50
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MID-SIZE SUV: NISSAN PATHFINDER
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FULL-SIZE SUV: TOYOTA SEQUOIA
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OFF-ROAD SUV: TOYOTA SEQUOIA
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LUXURY SUV: GENESIS GV60
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MID-SIZE TRUCK: NISSAN FRONTIER
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FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK: RAM 1500
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OFF-ROAD PICKUP TRUCK: TOYOTA TUNDRA
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LUXURY PICKUP TRUCK: RAM 1500 LIMITED
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GREEN VEHICLE: GENESIS GV60
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HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCK: RAM HEAVY DUTY REBEL
CALCULATED AWARDS
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BEST INTERIOR: GRAND WAGONEER
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BEST EXTERIOR: TOYOTA SEQUOIA
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BEST VALUE: GENESIS GV60
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BEST PERFORMANCE: RAM 1500
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BEST PERSONAL APPEAL: RAM 1500
FEATURE AWARDS
About TAWA
The Texas Auto Writers Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These media professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and as a result the TAWA Truck Rodeo was created. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Spring Branch, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave and most recently at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur, Texas.
In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The event as it is called today is the Texas Auto Roundup. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.
Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com