A strong slate. And some history, too. . .

By Gary S. Vasilash

Earlier today at the LA Auto Show the finalists for the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year (NACTOY) awards were announced.

They are:

• Car of the Year finalists: Dodge Charger, Honda Prelude, Nissan Sentra
• Truck of the Year finalists: Ford Maverick Lobo, Ram 1500 Hemi, Ram 2500
• Utility Vehicle of the Year finalists: Hyundai Palisade, Lucid Gravity, Nissan Leaf

If nothing else, the list is varied.

A few things:

Since the awards have been presented in 1994, this is the first time Dodge has been on it for a car. It has repeatedly been on it for trucks. In fact, it took the first Truck trophy in ’94.

Last year the Honda Civic Hybrid took Car. The Prelude is a hybrid, much of it based on the Honda Civic Hybrid. The non-hybrid Civic was Car in 2022. The Honda Accord in 2018. Honda Ridgeline for Truck in 2017. Honda Civic in 2016. Honda Civic and Honda Ridgeline in 2006. Honda has plenty of practice.

The Sentra was a finalist in 2021. It didn’t win. The Hyundai Elantra did. Nissan has won in Car: the Altima in 2002.

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The Maverick was the winner of Truck in 2022.

The Ram 1500 won in 2019 and in 2013. And as mentioned above, the first NACTOY Truck in ’94.

The Ram Heavy Duty, which is what a 2500 is, was a finalist in 2020 along with the Ford Ranger and the Jeep Gladiator. The Gladiator won.

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This is the second appearance of the Hyundai Palisade; the first was in 2020. Hyundai has been a finalist many times—’25 for the Santa Fe; ’24 for the Ioniq 6 and Kona; ’21 for the Elantra (which won); ’22 for the Santa Cruz and the Ioniq 5; ’20 for the Sonata; ’19 for the Kona, which won; ’15 for the Genesis (which was still a Hyundai back then); ’12 for the Elantra (which won); ’11 for the Sonata; and ’09 for the Genesis (which won).

This is the second appearance of Lucid as a finalist. The Lucid Air was a finalist in 2022.

This is the second appearance of the Nissan Leaf as a finalist. It first appeared in 2011.

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Winners will be announced January 14, 2026, at the Detroit Auto Show.

Disclosure: I am a NACTOY juror