Toyota Prius, Kia EV9, Ford Super Duty Win 2024 NACTOY Awards
The 2024 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) award winners were announced today during a press conference co-hosted by the Detroit Area Dealers Association (DADA) and Automotive Press Association (APA) in Pontiac, Michigan.
Once again, the jury of 50 professional automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada included The Car Guide’s Marc Lachapelle, Antoine Joubert and Gabriel Gélinas. The voting process began with 52 eligible vehicles, which jurors later narrowed in three rounds of independently verified voting to 25 semifinalists, 9 finalists and now the winners.
- Also: Acura Integra, Kia EV6, Ford F-150 Lightning Win 2023 NACTOY Awards
- Also: 2024 Toyota Prius Limited AWD: Stylish and Thrifty
The evaluations were based on automotive innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience and value.
“Our winners reflect the fact that a modern vehicle must be a combination of style, utility and technology,” NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert said. “I commend our fifty jurors for coming up with some excellent choices.”
2024 North American Car of the Year
Taking the torch from the Acura Integra, the new Toyota Prius (hybrid) and Prius Prime (plug-in hybrid) won the award in the car category thanks to their head-turning good looks and proverbially efficient technology. The latter particularly caught the attention of the jury with 220 combined horsepower and zero-emission range that now goes up to 72 km, appealing to a whole new group of shoppers.
Earning a score of 192 points, Toyota’s electrified compact cars edged out the Honda Accord (158 points) and Hyundai IONIQ 6 (150 points).
2024 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year
One year after the EV6, the larger and boxier Kia EV9 took home the award in the utility vehicle category. It’s significantly cheaper than every other three-row electric SUV on the market. As one of the jurors put it, the EV9 “should scare the stuffing out of other mass-market brands. Kia is rapidly moving upscale with head-turning design and all the latest technology at prices below the premium brands.”
With 320 points, the EV9 easily defeated two other SUVs from South Korea, namely the Hyundai Kona/Kona Electric (98 points) and Genesis Electrified GV70 (82 points).
2024 North American Truck of the Year
In the truck category, Ford came out on top for the fourth year in a row, following the F-150 in 2021, the Maverick in 2022 and the F-150 Lightning in 2023. The new Ford Super Duty impressed the jury with an unmatched combination of power, torque, payload and towing capacity. There are four engines to choose from, comfort levels are remarkable, and an abundance of useful technology makes the driver’s life easier.
The Super Duty’s 189 points were enough to beat a pair of bowtie-wearing competitors including the Chevrolet Colorado (163 points) and Silverado EV (148 points).