DETROIT, Jan. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The definitive roadmap for new-car shoppers arrived today with the announcement of the 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ (NACTOY) awards. Kicking off the Detroit Auto Show’s media day, NACTOY officers revealed the results of an intensive, year-long jury process designed to identify the best-in-class vehicles for the upcoming model year. The winners are:
- North American Car of the Year™: Dodge Charger
- North American Truck of the Year™: Ford Maverick Lobo
- North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™: Hyundai Palisade
NACTOY jurors have spent the last year assiduously test driving, researching and evaluating vehicles on criteria including automotive innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience and value. Their unique points of view inform the voting process, resulting in a well-rounded class of vehicles built for a variety of lifestyle needs. The organization announced its “Best of 2026” semifinalists in September at CAR MBS in the conference’s first year at Michigan Central Station, and winnowed the list down further to 9 exceptional finalists that were unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November.
"These winners represent the best in the auto industry,” said Jeff Gilbert, president of NACTOY and automotive reporter at WWJ Radio. “This award has great value because of the diverse backgrounds of our jurors, and on behalf of those jurors, I offer deep congratulations to all of our winners for 2026."
Founded in 1994, the NACTOY awards are the longest-running new-vehicle awards not associated with a single publication. Vehicles 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. Ballots cast for the 2026 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™: Dodge Charger – B-roll and photos
Total votes: 195
Juror Comments:
“The Dodge Charger is a tour de force and welcome return to the brand's gas-fueled sweet spot after a detour down Electric Alley. It's also a lesson to the industry about the limitations of performance EVs. In addition to a great muscle car, the Charger is an all-around performer with hatchback utility, all-season all-wheel-drive capability, and terrific interior and exterior design.”
-Henry Payne, auto columnist at The Detroit News
“The Dodge Charger is the Swiss Army knife of muscle cars, and I thoroughly enjoyed all of its variations. Dodge did a nice job capturing the magic of the 1960s into a modern car that is both practical and a lot of fun to drive. It's worthy of the Charger name and also charts a new course for Dodge.”
-Greg Migliore, editorial director at AutoGuide
North American Truck of the Year™: Ford Maverick Lobo – B-roll and photos
Total votes: 277
Juror Comments:
“Ford's Maverick Lobo opens the door to a new class of fun-to-drive compact pickups. It's the first to make an affordable compact pickup the basis of a sporty pickup with street smarts and meaningful performance upgrades. It won't be the last.”
-Mark Phelan, auto critic and columnist at the Detroit Free Press
“Maverick continues to be the little truck that could, filling a niche buyers didn't know they wanted or needed. The sporty Lobo completes the range that includes basic workhorse, off-road adventurer and hybrid efficiency. If only we were all as flexible and resourceful as Maverick.”
-Tom Voelk, reporter & photographer at Driven
North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™: Hyundai Palisade – B-roll and photos
Total votes: 270
Juror Comments:
“The 2026 Hyundai Palisade is a great family car, with 3 rows of seating, a posh interior and lots of safety equipment. With a starting price under $40,000 and a new hybrid powertrain available, it's the perfect blend of value, technology and efficiency.”
-Joann Muller, transportation correspondent at Axios
“After raising the bar as to what three-row SUVs could be with its first generation, the redesigned 2026 Hyundai Palisade, and especially its hybrid model, again sets the standard in the class. It's simply the best SUV you can buy today.”
-John Vincent, senior editor for vehicle testing at U.S. News & World Report
Spanish and French versions of this release are available on NACTOY’s website. For more information about NACTOY and its history: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.
ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN CAR, TRUCK, AND UTILITY VEHICLE OF THE YEAR™
The awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, user experience and value. The organization gives out three awards. They are: “North American Car of the Year™,” “North American Truck of the Year™,” and the “North American Utility Vehicle of the Year™.” The awards are unique because they are given by an independent jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada instead of by a single publication, website, radio or television station.
Media contact:
Alli Cooke
LLYC
616.258.5769
acooke@lambert.com
