A jury made up of 50 top U.S. and Canadian journalists has made the first cut, weeding through the scores of new cars, trucks and utility vehicles that have hit the market this year, coming up with a total of 29 semi-finalists in the three award categories set to be announced at the beginning of 2020.
European and Asian automakers dominate, with Detroit’s Big Three automakers placing 13 models in contention. That includes just two of the North American Car of the Year semi-finalists and six among the Utility of the Year contenders. That said, Motown did manage a clean sweep of the Truck category, landing all five of those semi-finalists.
European automakers placed five products in the car category and two among the utility vehicles. Asian automakers had five car semi-finalists and four utility vehicles.
(Koreans pulled a double win with the 2019 NACTOY awards. Click Here for more.)
There is just one all-electric model among the semi-finalists, but the three lists include a number of vehicles offered with mild, conventional and plug-in drivetrains, including the Polestar 1 plug-in and the Lincoln Aviator which also offers a PHEV option.
The process of winnowing out three winners is a challenging one and today’s picks mark the beginning of the hard part for jurors – a list that includes this writer. Members of the jury will participate in a three-day comparison drive next month in Michigan. They will then select three finalists in each category, a list that will be announced during the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 20.
The eventual winners will be revealed in January 2020, with NACTOY set to stage a new announcement process following the shift of the North American International Auto Show to June. Details of the ceremony marking the 27th North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle Awards will be released later this year.
(NACTOY started out with a single award and now has three. Click Here to find out why.)
As for this year’s nominees:
2020 North American Car of the Year Semifinalists:
- BMW 3 Series
- Cadillac CT5
- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
- Hyundai Sonata
- Kia Soul
- Mazda3
- Mercedes-Benz A-Class
- Polestar 1
- Porsche 911
- Subaru Legacy
- Toyota Supra
- Volkswagen Arteon
2020 North American Utility of the Year Semifinalists:
- Audi E-Tron
- Cadillac XT6
- Chevrolet Blazer
- Ford Explorer
- Ford Escape
- Honda Passport
- Kia Telluride
- Hyundai Palisade
- Lincoln Aviator
- Lincoln Corsair
- Subaru Outback
- Volvo V60 Cross Country
2020 North American Truck of the Year Semifinalists:
- Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty
- Ford Ranger
- GMC Sierra Heavy Duty
- Jeep Gladiator
- Ram Heavy Duty
