Finalists Selected for North American Car, Truck & Utility Vehicle of the Year

The final phase has begun for one of the automotive industry’s highest honors, following a decisive narrowing of the highly competitive field of new vehicles, officials stated in a press release.

The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards organization has unveiled its list of 2026 finalists, naming three contenders in each category. The announcement marked the opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 20, where many of the finalist vehicles and a wide array of other new vehicles are on display.

The nine finalists are:

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.”

A Jury of Respected Automotive Journalists

The finalist vehicles were selected via ballots from NACTOY’s jury, which is comprised of respected automotive journalists who produce content for a variety of print, broadcast and digital media in the U.S. and Canada, noted the release. While evaluation criteria include outstanding innovation, design, performance, driver satisfaction and value, each juror has their own method for assessing vehicles. Their industry expertise, unique assessment processes and independence from any single publication lend credibility to each year’s slate of winners and sets NACTOY apart from similar “car of the year” awards, officials stated.

Jurors will continue evaluating the finalist vehicles over the coming weeks and cast their ballots for the winners before the end of the year. Award recipients will be announced on Jan. 14 at the Detroit Auto Show.