The Latest: Honda Civic is 2-time winner for car of the year

Every January, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) takes over Detroit with some of the best vehicle unveilings for the year.

The 2016 Honda Civic was named the North American Car of the Year, beating the Chevy Malibu and Mazda MX-5 Miata.

This win for the Civic is the second for the model in the award's history, following a win for the 2006 Civic a decade ago when it shared the stage with the 2006 Ridgeline, victor of that year's Truck of the Year award.

The preview days kicked off after the car/truck announcements and Chrysler was first out of the gate, followed by Chevrolet, Audi and Volkwagen.

Last year, the Volkswagen Golf and Ford F-150 were named vehicle and Truck of the Year.

The North American Car of the Year Award is given by a group of 53 worldwide automotive journalists. Sales of the XC90 more than tripled a year ago to 12,777.

In the truck/utility category, top honors went to the 2016 Volvo XC90, which beat the 2016 Nissan Titan XD and 2016 Honda Pilot.

The launch of the S90 highlights the ambition of the Swedish auto maker, following an $11bn investment and the recent breaking of ground in Charleston, South Carolina, where Volvo Cars will build its first North American production facility, employing around 2,000 workers. The XC90 also won in 2003.

These semi-autonomous driving technologies will come standard on all S90s sold in the United States, making the new luxury saloon the first vehicle available in the country with such systems straight from the factory. The latest round of awards represent the 22nd consecutive year of the competition.