Crossovers dominate this year’s list of competitors, while EVs continue to have a strong showing
- 30 vehicles will compete for the 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility titles.
- Car and utility categories are wide open, but the truck segment has two leaders.
- Cadillac and Ford lead with three nominations each, including Expedition and Vistiq.
With the Munich Motor Show firmly in the rearview mirror, attention is turning to the Detroit Auto Show. While it’s lost some luster, the event will be used to announce the winners of the 2026 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards.
In order to prepare for crowning the winners on January 14, organizers have announced this year’s contenders. On the car side, there are six options including the Audi A5, Dodge Charger, Honda Prelude, Kia K4 Hatchback, and Mercedes CLA.
More: Nissan’s 2026 Sentra Just Posed For A Sylphy
The sixth and final contestant is the redesigned Nissan Sentra, which hasn’t officially been unveiled yet. However, China’s new Sylphy gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Unfortunately, the 2026 North American Truck of the Year appears to be a snooze fest as 40% of the contenders are simply a trim. In this case, they’re the Ford F-150 Lobo and Maverick Lobo.
Hopefully we didn’t catch you mid-yawn as the Hemi-powered Ram 1500 is also up for the title. However, it’s not terribly special as the company simply brought the V8 engine back due to strong demand.
The other two contenders are far more worthy as they’re the facelifted Ram 2500 and ‘new’ Rivian R1T Quad Motor. The former sports revised styling and a new turbodiesel engine, while the latter boasts 1,025 hp and a NACS charging port.
That brings us to the 2026 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. There are nineteen contenders including three Cadillacs in the form of the Optiq, Vistiq, and Escalade IQ. Other notable models include the Ford Expedition, Honda Passport, Hyundai Palisade, Jeep Cherokee, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota RAV4, and Volkswagen Tiguan.
In other news, the NACTOY board announced a $100,000 donation to the SAE Foundation. It will help fund scholarships for college students pursuing automotive and journalism careers. One scholarship for each career path will be awarded annually and students interested in applying can check out SAE International’s website.
2026 North American Car Of The Year
2026 North American Truck Of The Year
2026 North American Utility Of The Year
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