NACTOY Best of 2027 Names 25 Contenders Across Three Awards

NACTOY Best of 2027 Names 25 Contenders

The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) organization announced its Best of 2027 contenders on September 15, selecting 25 vehicles from a field of 56 new or substantially changed models. The selections span three award categories, with five cars, four trucks, and 16 utility vehicles moving forward in the annual evaluation. NACTOY's independent automotive journalist jurors from the United States, Canada, and Mexico assess eligible vehicles throughout the year using criteria that include innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience, and value.

2027 North American Car, Truck and Utility Contenders

The 25 vehicles selected for the Best of 2027 represent a broad mix of passenger cars, trucks, electric vehicles, hybrids, and utility models. The car category includes entries from Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz, while the truck category features Chevrolet, GMC, Ram, and Slate. The utility field is substantially larger and includes models from Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Genesis, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, Rivian, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. The selection therefore covers a wide range of vehicle approaches and manufacturers while retaining the three-category structure used by NACTOY.

North American Car of the Year Contenders

The five North American Car of the Year contenders are Audi A6, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, Kia K4 Hatchback, Lexus ES, and Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 Hybrid. These vehicles will continue through the NACTOY evaluation process alongside contenders in the truck and utility categories. The selection includes conventional passenger-car nameplates as well as electrified offerings, reflecting the range of vehicles considered by the organization. NACTOY jurors evaluate the vehicles based on multiple criteria rather than a single technical characteristic, with driver satisfaction, user experience, safety, performance, design, innovation, technology, and value all forming part of the assessment.

North American Truck of the Year Contenders

The North American Truck of the Year category has four contenders: Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Ram 1500 TRX SRT, and Slate Truck. The selected trucks will proceed to the next stages of the awards process, where NACTOY jurors will continue evaluating their attributes against the organization's criteria. The category brings together established full-size truck nameplates and a newer entrant, giving the 2027 competition a mix of familiar and emerging products. The September 15 announcement establishes the initial Best of 2027 field, but it does not determine the eventual winner in the truck category.

North American Utility Vehicle of the Year Contenders

The utility category contains 16 contenders, making it the largest of the three NACTOY fields for the 2027 awards. The selected vehicles are Audi Q9, Kia Seltos, BMW iX3, Kia Telluride, Chevrolet Bolt, Mazda CX-5, Genesis GV60 Magma, Nissan Rogue Hybrid e-Power, Jeep Cherokee, Rivian R2, Jeep Grand Wagoneer REEV, Toyota Highlander, Jeep Recon, Volkswagen Atlas, Kia EV3, and Volvo EX60. The group includes battery-electric, hybrid, and range-extended approaches alongside conventional utility vehicles, while manufacturers represented in the category include both established automakers and newer electric-vehicle-focused companies.

2027 NACTOY Contender List by Award Category

The complete Best of 2027 selection consists of 25 vehicles divided among five car contenders, four truck contenders, and 16 utility-vehicle contenders. The table below preserves the vehicles announced by NACTOY on September 15 and organizes them by the award category in which they are competing. It provides the full contender list without adding vehicles or changing the category assignments stated in the announcement.

Next Steps in the 2027 NACTOY Awards

The next major stage is NACTOY's annual Ride & Drive, scheduled for October 20–22 in Michigan, where jurors will gather to continue the evaluation process. After that event, NACTOY is scheduled to announce three finalists in each category on November 19 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The final winners of the 2027 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards are scheduled to be announced January 14 at the Detroit Auto Show. The timetable means the September contender announcement is an early milestone in a process that continues through testing, finalist selection, and the final awards presentation.

Industry Impact & Outlook

The 2027 NACTOY field provides an early view of the products receiving attention in North America's annual vehicle evaluation cycle, with the 25 selections spanning cars, trucks, and utility vehicles and including multiple electrified models. For automakers, progression through the process creates another opportunity for their products to be evaluated publicly across innovation, safety, performance, technology, user experience, design, driver satisfaction, and value. The October Ride & Drive and November finalist announcement will narrow the field before the January awards, making those milestones the key next points for manufacturers, automotive journalists, and consumers following the competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many vehicles were named NACTOY Best of 2027 contenders?
The NACTOY organization selected 25 vehicles from 56 new or substantially changed models for its Best of 2027 competition across three award categories. Five vehicles were selected for North American Car of the Year, four for North American Truck of the Year, and 16 for North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The jurors evaluating these vehicles are independent automotive journalists from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and their assessment considers innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience, and value as part of the awards process.