Winners of the 2026 North American Car of the Year Awards Announced
Kyiv • UNN
The winners of the 2026 North American Car of the Year Awards were announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The top awards went to the Dodge Charger, Ford Maverick Lobo, and Hyundai Palisade.
On Wednesday morning, the awards ceremony for the best cars of the year took place at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The winners were chosen by a jury consisting of leading industry journalists from the USA and Canada. This was reported by AP, writes UNN.
Details
This year's main awards were distributed among American and South Korean automakers:
- Car of the Year: Dodge Charger.
- Truck of the Year: Ford Maverick Lobo.
- Utility Vehicle of the Year: Hyundai Palisade.
Experts evaluated the nominees based on a number of criteria, including innovation, design, performance, safety, and driver satisfaction.
Finalists and Competition
This year's list of finalists showcased a combination of traditional internal combustion engines, hybrid technologies, and electric vehicles.
In the passenger car category, the Dodge Charger beat the Honda Prelude hybrid coupe and the compact Nissan Sentra. In the truck segment, the Ford Maverick Lobo outperformed the Ram 1500 Hemi and Ram 2500 pickups. In the utility vehicle category, the Hyundai Palisade won against the electric Lucid Gravity and Nissan Leaf.
Significance of the Award for the Market
The North American Car of the Year awards are considered among the most prestigious in the industry. They are an important indicator of how new models are perceived by the professional community, which potential buyers use as a guide when choosing vehicles.