The 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) award winners were announced yesterday during a joint press conference with the Detroit Area Dealers Association (DADA) and Automotive Press Association (APA) at M1 Concourse in Pontiac.
After three rounds of independently verified voting stemming from hundreds of hours of test driving, research and evaluation, the winners are:
- North American Car of the Year: Acura Integra
- North American Truck of the Year: Ford F-150 Lightning
- North American Utility Vehicle of the Year: Kia EV6
This year’s NACTOY awards began with 47 eligible vehicles, which jurors later narrowed in three rounds of independently verified voting to 26 semifinalists, 9 outstanding finalists and the 2023 winners. Throughout the year, NACTOY jurors spent hundreds of hours test driving, researching and evaluating vehicles on automotive innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience and value to cast the votes that named the 2023 NACTOY award winners.
“This year showed the unprecedented variety of vehicles on sale today, including reborn models of iconic nameplates, numerous electric vehicles, thrilling high performance or off-road vehicles, impressive luxury products and even all-new manufacturers,” said NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg. “This was an extremely competitive year, but this year’s winners rose to the top to earn the collective votes of our 50 jurors, and we congratulate Acura, Ford and Kia for bringing their outstanding offerings to market this year.”
Founded in 1994, these awards are the longest-running new-vehicle awards not associated with a single publication. They are judged by 50 professional automotive journalists from a wide variety of print, online, radio and television media outlets in the United States and Canada. The votes are confidentially tallied by Deloitte LLP, ensuring each stage of the award cycle is the collective decision of all jurors. Votes for 2023 NACTOY winners remained secret until envelopes were opened onstage during today’s event.
Below is a closer look at each segment winner:
North American Car of the Year: Acura Integra
Total votes: 174
Juror Comments:
“Honda’s luxury brand rebirths its second-best original name on its best new car. The Honda Civic-based Acura Integra looks good, drives well and is among the very few in its (or any) segment offering a slick-shifting manual transmission.”
–Gary Witzenburg, WardsAuto, DBusiness, hagerty.com
“The Acura Integra revives a beloved name with a car worthy of the moniker. Fun to drive and economical, it’s the type of car I would look forward to driving every day.”
–Kirk Bell, Motor Authority
North American Truck of the Year: Ford F-150 Lightning
Total votes: 483
Juror Comments:
“When America’s best-selling vehicle goes electric you know the transition has momentum. Ford’s effort to create an all-electric F-150 is remarkable because it combines the standard truck’s dimensions, which means it retains massive aftermarket support, with substantial upgrades to areas like storage and mobile power support. It’s really the best of all worlds, giving the F-150 Lightning a wide range of applications for both traditional and new-to-the-segment truck customers.”
–Karl Brauer, iSeeCars.com, Forbes
“Save the reinvention. The F-150 Lightning shows how the most familiar vehicle in American life can be made even better as an EV, and it’s fantastic.”
–Bengt Halvorson, Green Car Reports
North American Utility Vehicle of the Year: Kia EV6
Total votes: 258
Juror Comments:
“The Kia EV6 hits squarely in the heart of the U.S. market – an excellent mid-size SUV. It’s also a well-done electric vehicle, fun to drive, easy to charge and nice looking.”
–Jeff Gilbert, WWJ Newsradio 950/CBS Radio Network
“The Kia EV6 blends attractive styling, eye-popping performance in the GT and tremendous range in a package that won’t break the bank. While Kia is a mainstream competitor, it has equipped this electric with the style and amenities you’d expect from a luxury brand.”
–Matt DeLorenzo, Autoevolution.com
For more information about NACTOY and its history: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.
