NACTOY Releases Annual List of Vehicle Award Candidates

December 26, 2022 / By

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NACTOY Releases Annual List of Vehicle Award Candidates

47 Cars, Trucks, and Utility Vehicles are expected to be eligible candidates for the 2023 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards™

  • Ties for most eligible vehicles in the history of NACTOY.
  •  19 battery-electric vehicles – the highest number of EVs ever.
  • Two out of three pickups in the truck category are electric.

DETROIT – June 9, 2022 – The North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards™ said today it expects a total of 47 cars, trucks, and utility vehicles to be eligible for the 2023 awards – tying with 2019 for the most eligible vehicles in the history of the awards.

As of June 15, automakers have confirmed plans to launch 13 all-new or substantially new cars, three trucks, and 31 utility vehicles this year in North America that meet NACTOY’S eligibility requirements.

“This high number of eligible vehicles highlights the wide range of choices consumers have among new vehicles this year,” said NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg, “driven primarily by increased offerings of battery electric vehicles, the continued popularity of the utility category, and arrivals of new OEMs. We look forward to testing and evaluating this diverse list of exciting vehicles to determine this year’s three NACTOY Award winners.”

Awarded by a panel of 50 highly experienced and respected jurors from print, online, radio, and broadcast media across the U.S. and Canada – rather than a single publication or media outlet – the NACTOY awards are unique and among the most prestigious in the industry.

To be eligible, vehicles must be all or substantially new and available for purchase before the end of the calendar year. Determining this eligibility list is the first step in the annual award process. Jurors will narrow the list with a preliminary vote in September, then will conduct additional driving evaluations through the rest of the year, including during an October comparison drive. Semifinalists in each category will be announced in September, finalists in November, and category winners in January.

“Once again the SUV category has the most eligible vehicles, but this list of confirmed vehicles demonstrates that automakers continue to believe in the future of the car category,” said NACTOY Secretary Nicole Wakelin. “While we only have three trucks eligible this year, these contenders come after an unusually competitive year in 2021 when eight trucks were eligible.”

Car of the Year

  1. Acura Integra
  2. BMW i4 eDrive 40i
  3. BMW i4 M50i
  4. Genesis G80
  5. Genesis G90
  6. Maserati MC20
  7. Mercedes C Class
  8. Mercedes EQE
  9. Nissan Z
  10. Porsche Cayman GT4 RS
  11. Porsche 911 GTS
  12. Subaru WRX
  13. Toyota GR Corolla

Truck of the Year

  1. Chevrolet Silverado ZR2
  2. Ford F-150 Lightning
  3. Lordstown Endurance

Utility Vehicle of the Year

  1. Audi Q4 e-tron
  2. BMW iX xDrive M50i
  3. Cadillac Lyriq
  4. Fisker Ocean
  5. Genesis GV60
  6. Honda CR-V
  7. Honda HR-V
  8. Honda Pilot
  9. Kia Sportage
  10. Kia Niro
  11. Kia EV6
  12. Jeep Wagoneer LWB
  13. Jeep Grand Wagoneer LWB
  14. Land Rover Range Rover
  15. Land Rover Range Rover SV
  16. Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  17. Land Rover Defender 130
  18. Lexus LX600
  19. Lexus RX
  20. Mazda CX-50
  21. Nissan Ariya
  22. Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
  23. Rivian R1S
  24. Subaru Solterra
  25. Toyota Sequoia
  26. Toyota bZ4X
  27. Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid
  28. Vinfast VF 8
  29. Vinfast VF 9
  30. Volvo C40 Recharge
  31. Additional Utility vehicle TBA

NOTE: Spanish and French versions of this release will be available on NACTOY’s website. For
more information about NACTOY and its history: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.

ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN CAR, TRUCK, AND UTILITY VEHICLE OF THE YEAR™

The awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar. The organization gives out three awards. They are: “North American Car of the Year™,” “North American Truck of the Year™,” and the “North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™.” The awards are unique because they are given by an independent jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada instead of being given by a single publication, website, radio, or television station.

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