2026 NACTOY Awards: Meet the Finalists
Today at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards organization named three cars, three trucks and three utility vehicles as its 2026 finalists.
The winners will be crowned on January 14 at the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
2026 North American Car of the Year
Completely absent last year, American automakers are saved this time thanks to the Dodge Charger, which adds a four-door variant for 2026 as well as the option of a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder gasoline engine to complement the battery-powered Charger Daytona. The all-new Honda Prelude hybrid sports coupe and the redesigned Nissan Sentra compact sedan are the two other finalists.
The winner will succeed the Honda Civic Hybrid.
2026 North American Truck of the Year
Ram is responsible for two of the three finalists, here: the Ram 1500 HEMI (yes, with that good old V8 making a comeback!) and the Ram Heavy Duty. The other contender is nothing like these two, namely the Ford Maverick Lobo, a compact and sport-focused pickup with street cred.
In 2025, the award went to the Ford Ranger.
2026 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year
The third and final category once again pits three extremely different vehicles against each other. We’re talking about the Hyundai Palisade three-row midsize SUV, the Lucid Gravity electric luxury SUV and the Nissan LEAF turned into a coupe-like crossover.
Last year’s award winner was the Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
Jeff Gilbert, president of NACTOY and automotive reporter at WWJ Radio, commented: “Once again, these finalists show the wide range of choices that consumers have in the marketplace. Our jury of distinguished auto reporters has come up with a great selection of fantastic vehicles that truly reflect the best of the best.”
Evaluation criteria include outstanding innovation, design, performance, driver satisfaction and value. The 50 jurors, including The Car Guide’s Antoine Joubert and Marc Lachapelle, will continue evaluating the finalist vehicles over the coming weeks and cast their ballots before the end of the year.