DETROIT – The winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) awards were announced Tuesday morning in Detroit.
An independent jury of 50 automotive journalists determined the winners. This year is the second year in a row Ford has earned two of the three awards.
“Great way to start the year, very complex and challenging to reinvent an icon. For two years been hearing, ‘Don’t mess this up,’” Kumar Galhotra with Ford said.
NACTOY said 2021 has been a significant year in automotive history. Analysts said these types of award shows give buyers an independent evaluation of what’s available.
“Really interesting that all these awards come from different perspectives,” principal analyst IHS Markit Stephanie Brinley said.
As consumer preferences evolve, this year’s finalists included the most electric vehicles ever.
“Their job might even be more difficult next year because we do expect in 2022 to see more new vehicles introduced than we did see in 2021. So they may have an even tougher job next year,” Brinley said.
The award show was held at Huntington Place and was a taste of what’s to come.
Read: 2022 NACTOY Awards winners: Honda Civic, Ford Maverick, Ford Bronco
2022 North American Car of the Year winner (Honda Civic)
2022 North American Truck of the Year winner (Ford Maverick)
Ford Bronco (2022 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year winner)
Read: 2021 NACTOY Awards winners: Hyundai Elantra, Ford F-150, Ford Mustang Mach-E
North American Car of the Year finalists
- Honda Civic (winner)
- Lucid Air
- Volkswagen Golf Mk VIII (Golf R/Golf GTI)
North American Truck of the Year finalists
- Ford Maverick (winner)
- Hyundai Santa Cruz
- Rivian R1T
North American Utility Vehicle of the Year finalists
- Ford Bronco (winner)
- Genesis GV70
- Hyundai IONIQ 5
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