The North American International Auto Show will see the debut of a number of new cars, but all eyes were on the awards podium as two of the most important honors of the year were announced.

The North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards are significant bragging points for automakers, as the results are tabulated by the votes of 50 automotive journalists from a number of publications, rather than one source. The finalists have been known for awhile, with the Chevy Volt, its electric nemesis the Nissan Leaf and the Hyundai Sonata competing for the title. In the end, the much-hyped Chevy Volt was the winner, a significant victory for the once-beleaguered General Motors.

Meanwhile, another domestic automaker took home Truck of the Year when the Ford Explorer beat out Chrysler's Dodge Durango and Jeep Grand Cherokee for the honor.

While the Explorer is a somewhat traditional pick for the automotive press, the Volt and Leaf were two unconventional choices to say the least. Not only were the models the first electric vehicles to be given the honor, but the Volt and Leaf have a tiny number of sales compared to more established vehicles. The Associated Press reported that the Volt had moved just 350 units in December, while the Leaf sold only 10 models – though the numbers are expected to rise as the cars are rolled out nationwide.