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2022 TEXAS TRUCK RODEO RESULTS


Each fall, more than 50 TAWA automotive journalists and 100-plus manufacturer representatives from throughout the nation meet for a two-day evaluation of the industry’s best trucks, SUVs and CUVs. Results from the Texas Truck Rodeo are widely covered in national publications such as Motor Trend, Consumer Reports and USA TodayManufacturers covet the prestigious awards they earn at the Texas Truck Rodeo and often mention the honors in their promotional material.

TOP AWARDS

Truck of Texas: 

RAM 1500

SUV of Texas: 

Toyota Sequoia

The Texas Auto Writers would like to thank our event sponsors and associate partners for all their contributions 

        

TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION NAMES 2022 TRUCK OF TEXAS AND SUV OF TEXAS

Amy Plemons, VP Communications

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.

A full list of award winners is on the right.

Photography

All images are for editorial use only and should be credited to Kevin McCauley and capturingthemachine.com.

About TAWA

The Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. was founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1993, Texas Truck Rodeos have been held in locations all over Texas; most recently, at Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, was most recently held in the spring of 2021. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com


PAST TRUCK RODEO RESULTS

FULL RESULTS

TRUCK OF TEXAS

Winner: 2023 RAM 1500 


SUV OF TEXAS

Winner: 2023 Toyota Sequoia 


Category Awards:


COMPACT SUV

Winner: Mazda CX-5 


MID-SIZE SUV

Winner: Nissan Pathfinder


FULL-SIZE SUV

Winner: Toyota Sequoia 


LUXURY SUV

Winner: 2022 Genesis GV60


MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK

Winner: Nissan Frontier


FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK

Winner: Ram 1500


OFF-ROAD TRUCK

Winner: Toyota Tundra


HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCK

Winner: Ram Heavy Duty Rebel 


LUXURY PICKUP TRUCK

Winner: Ram 1500 Limited


OFF-ROAD VEHICLE

Winner: Toyota Sequoia


GREEN VEHICLE OF TEXAS

Winner: Genesis GV6 


OPTIONAL AWARDS


BEST INTERIOR

Winner: Grand Wagoneer


BEST EXTERIOR

Winner: Toyota Sequoia


BEST VALUE

Winner: Genesis GV60


BEST PERFORMANCE

Winner: RAM 1500


BEST PERSONAL APPEAL

Winner: Ram 1500 


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