The countdown is on to the 2025 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards. The nine finalists - three in each category - were recently announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The finalists were narrowed down from a list of "Best of 25" vehicles announced earlier this fall.
“The competition for these awards will be fierce this year,” said NACTOY President Jeff Gilbert, who is also the automotive reporter for WWJ Radio in Detroit. “We have a well-balanced crop of EVs, hybrids and gasoline-powered vehicles. It will be hard to narrow each category down to just one winner – they’re all great choices.”
The finalists for each category, in alphabetical order, are…
North American Car of the Year:
- Honda Civic Hybrid
- Kia K4
- Toyota Camry
North American Truck of the Year:
North American Utility Vehicle of the Year:
- Chevrolet Equinox EV
- Hyundai Santa Fe
- Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Car Pro Show host Jerry Reynolds' Predictions:
- Car: Honda Civic Hybrid
- Truck: Toyota Tacoma
- Utility: VW ID. Buzz
NACTOY says the vehicles were voted on by 50 respected automotive journalists who produce content for a variety of print, broadcast and digital media in the U.S. and Canada. While evaluation criteria include outstanding innovation, design, performance, driver satisfaction and value, each juror has their own method for assessing vehicles.
The evaluation process isn't over yet. Jurors will continue evaluating the finalist vehicles over the coming weeks and cast their final ballots for the winners before the end of the year. We'll find out which three vehicles take NACTOY honors on January 10, 2025, when winners will be announced as part of the kickoff for the media days of the Detroit Auto Show.
