The NACTOY (North American Car and Truck of the Year) jury awards, to be presented at the Detroit Auto Show next January, have been a tradition for 30 years now.
And in a sign of the times, most of the models vying for top honours this year are electrified. Twelve of the just-announced finalists are all-electric, and several feature hybrid powertrains.
The jury, made up of 50 automotive journalists from Canada and the U.S., selected the finalists from among 56 vehicles that are new or have been significantly reworked for 2025, and are due to go on sale in 2024.
The list includes some models that aren't yet on sale, but have the potential to be big enough in the coming year to make it into the first comparative road tests to be carried out by NACTOY journalists in October.
Once jury members have driven the vehicles, the list will be whittled down to three finalists for each of the three prizes. Those nine finalists will be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 21, before the overall winners are crowned in Detroit on January 10, 2025.
“We have a great variety of vehicles on the list, from the sporty to the family sedan,” said Jeff Gilbert, NACTOY president and automotive reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950. “This list is an example of the great products that the auto industry is producing, from cutting edge electric vehicles to traditional gasoline powered cars and trucks, but also hybrids, which are a growing share of the market.”
Here are the vehicles nominated.
CARS named as NACTOY Best of 2025 finalists
- - BWM 3 Series
- - BMW M5
- - Cadillac Celestiq (all-electric)
- - Dodge Charger EV (all-electric)
- - Fiat 500e (all-electric)
- - Honda Civic hybrid
- - Kia K4
- - Mercedes-AMG E-Class
- - Porsche Panamera
- - Toyota Camry
SUVs named as NACTOY Best of 2025 finalists
- - Chevrolet Equinox EV (all-electric)
- - Honda Prologue (all-electric)
- - Hyundai Ioniq 5 N (all-electric)
- - Hyundai Santa Fe
- - Jeep Wagoneer S (all-electric)
- - Lincoln Nautilus
- - Porsche Macan EV (all-electric)
- - Toyota Land Cruiser
- - Volkswagen ID. Buzz (all-electric)
- - Volvo EX90 (all-electric)
PICKUP TRUCKS named as NACTOY Best of 2025 finalists
- - Ford Ranger
- - GMC Sierra EV (all-electric)
- - Ram 1500
- - Rivian R1T (all-electric)
- - Toyota Tacoma