Photo: NACTOY
People turned their backs to electric vehicles as the jury announced the finalists of the 2025 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year. Only two finalists are powered by a battery pack, whereas the other seven models either offer hybrid versions or are built exclusively with a hybrid powertrain.
The jury revealed the finalists of the 2025 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY). After previously selecting 25 vehicles as the "Best of 2025," the 50 jurors have now picked three models in each category to face off in the final round. The announcement was made at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where the public can admire the finalists.
The jury will continue to evaluate the finalists over the coming weeks and cast their votes for the winners by the end of the year. The award winners will be announced on January 10, 2025, during the media days of the Detroit Auto Show.
The 2025 North American Car of the Year section has seen some great models, with three out of ten being powered by a battery. These were the Cadillac Celestiq, Dodge Charger EV, and the Fiat 500e. However, none of them have made it to the finals, and that can also be said about thoroughbreds like the BMW M5, Porsche Panamera, or the Mercedes-AMG E Class. Instead, the jury picked the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Kia K4, and the Toyota Camry for the final round.
The electric vehicles have had more luck in the Utility Vehicle category, where seven of the ten semi-finalists were electric-powered. This made it easier for the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Volkswagen ID. Buzz to make the shortlist, alongside the Hyundai Santa Fe. Among the models that were rejected in this round were the Porsche Macan EV, Volvo EX90, and, for some reason, the Jeep Wagoneer S, which is not yet in production and won't be for a long time, as Stellantis just announced.
The North American Truck of the Year category had listed the Ford Ranger, GMC Sierra EV, Ram 1500, Rivian R1T, and the Toyota Tacoma as the semi-finalists. Guess which ones got the short stick? Exactly, no EV model qualified in the final round, with the Ford Ranger, Ram 1500, and the Toyota Tacoma fighting for the title.
Last year, the NACTOY winners were the Toyota Prius, the Ford Super Duty, and the Kia EV9, which means that all three brands get a chance to win again in 2025, although not all. That's because two of them, Toyota and Kia, compete in the same category, the North American Car of the Year. The same stands for Toyota and Ford in the North America Truck of the Year category. This means that Toyota has double the chances the other two have at scoring another win in 2025.
The jury will continue to evaluate the finalists over the coming weeks and cast their votes for the winners by the end of the year. The award winners will be announced on January 10, 2025, during the media days of the Detroit Auto Show.
The 2025 North American Car of the Year section has seen some great models, with three out of ten being powered by a battery. These were the Cadillac Celestiq, Dodge Charger EV, and the Fiat 500e. However, none of them have made it to the finals, and that can also be said about thoroughbreds like the BMW M5, Porsche Panamera, or the Mercedes-AMG E Class. Instead, the jury picked the Honda Civic Hybrid, the Kia K4, and the Toyota Camry for the final round.
The electric vehicles have had more luck in the Utility Vehicle category, where seven of the ten semi-finalists were electric-powered. This made it easier for the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Volkswagen ID. Buzz to make the shortlist, alongside the Hyundai Santa Fe. Among the models that were rejected in this round were the Porsche Macan EV, Volvo EX90, and, for some reason, the Jeep Wagoneer S, which is not yet in production and won't be for a long time, as Stellantis just announced.
The North American Truck of the Year category had listed the Ford Ranger, GMC Sierra EV, Ram 1500, Rivian R1T, and the Toyota Tacoma as the semi-finalists. Guess which ones got the short stick? Exactly, no EV model qualified in the final round, with the Ford Ranger, Ram 1500, and the Toyota Tacoma fighting for the title.
Last year, the NACTOY winners were the Toyota Prius, the Ford Super Duty, and the Kia EV9, which means that all three brands get a chance to win again in 2025, although not all. That's because two of them, Toyota and Kia, compete in the same category, the North American Car of the Year. The same stands for Toyota and Ford in the North America Truck of the Year category. This means that Toyota has double the chances the other two have at scoring another win in 2025.
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