Influence and history of automobiles in the automobile city of Detroit
Here are some facts about Detroit’s auto industry.
- The announcement of the finalists for the 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year kicks off this year’s LA Auto Show.
- Winners of the featured annual awards will be announced at the Detroit Auto Show in January.
Ram and Nissan each won two of the nine finalists for the 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year award, which opened this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
The finalists cover the annual awards’ three vehicle categories and were chosen by a vote of 50 automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada, said Jeff Gilbert, president of NACTOY and automotive reporter for WWJ-AM (950) radio in metro Detroit.
The finalists for Car of the Year were the Dodge Charger, Honda Prelude, and Nissan Sentra. The finalists for Truck of the Year were the Ford Maverick Robo, Ram 1500 Hemi, and Ram 2500, and the finalists for Utility Vehicle of the Year were the Hyundai Palisade, Lucid Gravity, and Nissan Leaf.
Finalists will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 20, and the winner will be announced at the Detroit Auto Show on Wednesday, Jan. 14, according to a news release.
Gilbert, who has been a judge for the award for about 20 years, said he doesn’t think there will be any big surprises in this year’s shortlist, but that doesn’t mean it’s clear which car will win. For example, in the truck category, Gilbert said customers are eager to see the return of the Hemi V8 in the Ram 1500 lineup, the Ram 2500 is a powerful work truck, and the Ford Maverick Robo is a cool product that’s garnering a lot of interest.
“There are many possibilities for this to happen,” he said.
Gilbert noted that this year’s list of competitors includes more utility vehicles, reflecting the wider choice in this part of the market.
As for how consumers should view the list of finalists, Gilbert advised considering it as just one tool in the vehicle selection process, and encouraged shoppers to do their own homework when looking for the right vehicle for them.
However, he noted that the award’s judges represented a wide range of positions, from experts to those focused on family vehicles.
The 2025 winners were the Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Ranger, and Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
Eric D. Lawrence is senior auto culture reporter for the Detroit Free Press. If you have any tips or suggestions, please contact us at elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
