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2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

The 2014 North American International Auto Show is right around the corner, which means it's high time we found out which cars and trucks would be finalists for the prestigious North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards.
The finalists - three in cars and three in three trucks/utilities - are dominated by American brands, with two-thirds of the finalists hailing from either General Motors or Chrysler (don't worry Ford, there's always next year), while outliers from Mazda and Acura can be found in each contest. Here now is the list of finalists for the big prizes:
2014 North American Car of the Year:

Cadillac CT4 and CT4-V pricing revealed, starts just under $34,000

The Cadillac CT4-V had its big reveal in Detroit several months ago, and last month we finally saw the regular CT4. Today, Cadillac has pricing available for every CT4 trim level including the V. The entry-level CT4 Luxury with rear-wheel drive will start at $33,990, including the destination charge. Adding all-wheel drive requires another $2,600, bringing the total to $36,590. Cadillac also throws in heated front seats and a heated steering wheel when you opt for the all-wheel drive model. The CT4-V comes in at $45,490 before options — on the V, the up-charge for all-wheel drive is only $1,100. Cadillac CT4-V View 12 Photos Cadillac offers two trims in between the base Luxury and more powerful V-Series: Premium Luxury and Sport. The Premium Luxury is priced from $38,490, and the Sport is a tad bit more expensive at $39,590. All-wheel drive is even more expensive ($3,200) in the Premium Luxury, as it adds cooled front seats on top of the heated seats and steering wheel. The cooled seats arenÂ’t included with the Sport all-wheel drive package, so itÂ’s the same $2,600 charge as in the Luxury model. Every CT4 but the V comes standard with CadillacÂ’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. An 8-speed transmission handles the shifting. Go for the much more expensive CT4-V, and you get the 2.7-liter turbo four that makes 325 horsepower and a whopping 380 pound-feet of torque. This engine is exclusively mated to a 10-speed automatic. For a full rundown and background on the CT4 and CT4-V, check out our previous coverage of the cars. YouÂ’ll be able to order a 2020 CT4 later this year.

GM to build $1.3 billion Cadillac plant in China

General Motors has gotten approval to build a $1.3 billion manufacturing facility for its Cadillac brand in China. China's National Development and Reform Commission signed off on plans for GM to build the plant in the country's Shanghai's Jinqiao zone; construction is expected to begin in June of this year. According to a Bloomberg report, the plant will have an annual production capacity of 150,000 units.
No surprise here, but Cadillac would like to sell a lot more cars in the plush Chinese luxury market. The brand moved only 30,010 cars in China last year, compared with 400k for Audi, and about 330k for BMW. With Cadillac already telling us that it would be moving production of its XTS sedan to China - a production decision that saves having to pay 25-percent import tariffs - approval of the factory is a critical win for the company.
In fact, according to earlier comments by GM China president Bob Socia, it's at least conceivable that Chinese-built Cadillacs could be shipped back to the US for sale. The brave new world of globalization, getting stranger by the minute.