The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards (NACTOY) have just announced 26 semifinalists. These 10 cars, three trucks, and 13 SUVs will be eligible to advance to the finalist rounds, to determine which will win their respective overall awards.
“This year’s group of semifinalists highlights the changes we’ve seen sweeping across the automotive industry in recent years: Most mainstream vehicles now fall into the Utility category; most vehicles in the Car category are focused on performance or luxury; and more electric vehicles than ever before are starting to hit the market,” said NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg. “NACTOY jurors look forward to testing and evaluating these vehicles before the next vote.”
In the Car of the Year category, the semi-finalists include:
Acura Integra
BMW i4 eDrive40
Genesis G80 EV
Genesis G90
Mercedes-Benz C Class
Mercedes-Benz EQE
Nissan Z
Subaru WRX
Toyota Crown
Toyota GR Corolla
That makes three EVs, one that's only offered as a hybrid, and four sports cars. Showing that buyers might be moving away from cars, but for those buyers wanting more niche offerings, there are still plenty of solid picks.
Truck of the Year semi-finalists include:
Chevrolet Silverado ZR2
Ford F-150 Lightning
Lordstown Endurance
Two electric pickups show that even the truck market is moving toward electrification.
For Utility of the Year, the semi-finalists include:
Audi Q4 e-tron
BMW iX xDrive50
Cadillac Lyriq
Genesis GV60
Honda CR-V
Honda HR-V
Kia EV6
Kia Sportage
Lexus RX
Mazda CX-50
Nissan Ariya
Rivian R1S
Volvo C40 Recharge
This list includes a whopping eight fully electric vehicles, while four of the five remaining offer hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivelines. Just a few years ago, electric vehicle choices were slim, but today automakers are clearly bringing many EVs to market, and are bringing their best efforts to the electric segment.
There are 41 jurors from all over North America on the panel this year, including AutoTrader contributor Lesley Wimbush and our Editor-in-Chief Jodi Lai. A total of 47 vehicles made the initial list, and the three winners will be announced at a special event in January.
