A total of 30 vehicles – six cars, five trucks and 19 utility vehicles – made the cut as NACTOY revealed the semifinalists chosen by its 50 U.S. and Canadian journalists. Here’s a look at the vehicles in the running for honors as North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year.
The Ford Maverick Lobo is one of five candidates for North American Truck-of-the-Year. It’s also one of the many semifinalists available with an electrified drivetrain.
Which vehicles are the best of the best? That’s the task 50 U.S. and Canadian journalists are charged with determining each year, a process that got underway Wednesday with the release of the 30 semi-finalists for North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards.
A total of six cars, five trucks and 19 utility vehicles made the cut in the first of a three-round voting process that will be completed next January when winners in each of the three categories will be announced at the annual Detroit Auto Show.
Of the 30 nameplates, nineare sold exclusively in battery-electric form, while another 14 are available either exclusively in hybrid configuration or offer optional EV, HEV or PHEV packages.
Here’s a look at the vehicles that made the cut in each category.
The 2025 Dodge Charger is available both in gas form, or as the all-electric Charger Daytona,
Car-of-the-Year semifinalists:
Audi A5
Dodge Charger
Honda Prelude
Kia K4 Hatchback
Mercedes-Benz CLA
Nissan Sentra
The 2025 Ram 1500 brings back the iconic Hemi engine.
Truck-of-the-Year semifinalists:
Ford F-150 Lobo
Ford Maverick Lobo
Ram 1500 Hemi
Ram 2500
Rivian R1T Quad Motor
Utility-Vehicle-of-the-Year semifinalists:
Eight of the 19 utility-vehicle finalists are EV only, while the majority are available with one or more electrified drivetrain, either standard or optional.
Acura ADX
Audi Q5
Cadillac Escalade IQ
Cadillac OPTIQ
Cadillac VISTIQ
Ford Expedition
Genesis GV70
Honda Passport
Hyundai Ioniq 9
Hyundai Palisade
Jeep Cherokee
Lucid Gravity
Nissan Leaf
Polestar 4
Subaru Forester Hybrid
Toyota 4Runner
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Volkswagen Tiguan
Volvo EX30
What’s next
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz captured the Utility of the Year honor for NACTOY 2025.
The NACTOY jury is made up of 50 automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada and the group was charged with paring down the semifinalist list from the scores of new products that will be available for North American buyers during the 2025 calendar year.
The next step begins in October when jurors gather in Ann Arbor, Michigan for a four-day series of road tests that will, in turn, narrow the field down to just three finalists in each category.
Winners will be announced on January 14,2026 during a ceremony marking the start of the annual Detroit Auto Show.
NACTOY is now in its 32nd year and is widely considered one of the most significant among automotive awards programs in North America. Winners routinely highlight their victories in everything from press releases to Super Bowl ads.
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