The battle for the 2021 North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) has kicked off as organizers released the official list of vehicles eligible for the award.
A total of 36 models have been announced so far, yet with the automotive industry (and not only) seriously affected by the pandemic, several automakers have delayed their product launches. Thus, the list could eventually suffer changes to include other models.
“Product introductions have slowed for a while, but that will change during the second half of the year, as automakers release a large number of important new cars, SUVs and trucks”, said Gary Witzenburg, NACTOY President. “Our jurors will be very busy over the coming months, as they work to drive and evaluate all of these new models.”
In order to be eligible for the prestigious award, the cars have to be all-new or substantially new, as well as arrive at dealerships before the end of the year.
The winners in each of the three categories will be chosen by a panel of 50 jurors, from print, online, radio and broadcast media across the United States and Canada. The jury will put the models through a series of tests and then cast the preliminary vote that will narrow the list to just 12 models in each category. While that will happen in September, jurors will continue to evaluate the remaining vehicles throughout the year.
The list will be further trimmed in November, at the 2020 Los Angeles Auto Show, when the semi-finalists will be announced, followed by the finalists in December. The big winners will be announced in January, in Detroit. Check out the full list of candidates below and let us know which vehicles are your favorites.
Car of the Year:
Acura TLX
BMW 330e / 330e xDrive
BMW 430i, 430i xDrive and M440i xDrive
BMW 545e xDrive
Genesis G80
Hyundai Elantra family
Lexus IS
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan, All-Terrain, Coupe, Cabriolet
MINI Cooper SE
Nissan Sentra
Utility of the Year:
BMW X2 xDrive25e
BMW X3 xDrive30e and xDrive45e
Buick Encore GX
Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban
Ford Mustang Mach-E
Genesis GV80
GMC Yukon XL
Honda CR-V Hybrid
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Venue
Kia Seltos
Land Rover Defender 90 and 110
Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring
Mazda CX-30
Nissan Rogue
Toyota Venza
Toyota Sienna
Toyota RAV4 Prime
Toyota Highlander
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge
Truck of the Year:
Ford Super Duty
Ford F-150
Jeep Gladiator Mojave
