Best of 2024: The Vehicles Vying To Be NACOTY

Ryan Erik King

September 15, 2023 at 5:00 PM·5 min read

The Acura Integra was the 2023 North American Car of the Year

The North American Car of the Year might not matter much to car enthusiasts, but the award remains a significant and coveted honor for the automotive industry. After the EV6 won in the utility vehicle category last year, Kia produced a North American Utility Vehicle of the Year Limited Edition version of the electric crossover. The Korean automaker showed off the lengthily titled trim at Pebble Beach this year.

The 25 semifinalists for the 2024 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Award were announced today after a list of 52 eligible vehicles was considered and narrowed down. There are ten candidates each in the car and utility categories and five contenders in the truck category. The three finalist vehicles in each category will be announced in November at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Here are the semifinalists:

The recently revamped Chevrolet Colorado made the shortlist. The truck category might only have five semifinalists, but it is still easy to spot the resurgent popularity of mid-size pickups. The Colorado might be a venerable workhorse, but it hasn’t been entirely immune to recent trends either.

GMC Canyon

The GMC Canyon also joins its General Motors sibling on the list. The upscale appearance and build quality seemed to be enough to differentiate the Canyon from the Colorado, leading both to be named as semifinalists.

Chevrolet Silverado EV

The Chevrolet Silverado EV is the final General Motors truck and the only electric vehicle to advance to the semi-finals in the truck category. Admittedly, it’s hard not to be impressed by the Silverado’s EPA-estimated 450 miles of range.

Ford Ranger

The Ford Ranger is another mid-size pickup entry advancing to the truck category’s semi-finals. Ford has won North American Truck of the Year for the last three years.

Ford Super Duty

The Ford Super Duty will take on the trio of mid-size pickups and the electric Silverado. A Super Duty victory won complete a Grand Slam, with Ford winning the award with vastly different kinds of truck. The F-150 in 2021, the Maverick in 2022 and the F-150 Lightning in 2023.

Dodge Hornet

The Dodge Hornet, the brand’s hot hatch-esque crossover, has been nominated in the utility vehicle category. The Hornet is the only Stellantis vehicle to make the list of 25 semifinalists.

Hyundai Kona

The stylish yet utilitarian Hyundai Kona also made the shortlist in the utility vehicle category.

Honda Pilot

The revamped Honda Pilot has advanced to the semi-finals. The fourth-generation Pilot has much more aggressive styling than its predecessors.

Mazda CX90

The Mazda CX90, the automaker’s luxury SUX, made the shortlist likely due to its combination of high-performance capabilities and classy styling. Mazda last won the award in 2008 with CX-9.

Toyota Grand Highlander

The Toyota Grand Highlander might be the largest SUV to make the semi-finals. The massive SUV lives up to its name, with Toyota claiming that the third row can fit full-sized adults.

Chevrolet Equinox EV

The Chevrolet Equinox EV has advanced to the next round. Half of the utility vehicle category’s semi-final spots were given to electric vehicles.

Chevrolet Blazer EV

The Chevrolet Blazer EV is the second electric GM crossover in the semi-final’s field of ten contenders. General Motors has never won this category’s award.

Genesis Electrified GV70

The Genesis GV70, the automaker’s first model built in the United States, has been nominated for the semi-finals. Genesis vehicles have made the finals for the past three years but have never won.

Kia EV9

The KIA EV9 has advanced to the semi-finals as KIA aims to repeat last year’s success after the EV6 won North American Utility Vehicles of the Year.

Volvo EX30

The Volvo EX30 is the last semifinalist for the utility vehicle category. Volvo used to be a perennial contender for the award, but the Swedish automaker hasn’t won since 2018.

Toyota Crown

The Toyota Crown is the first of three Toyota models to make the semi-finals for North American Car of the Year.

Toyota Prius/Prius Prime

The sleek new Toyota Prius was understandably nominated for the next round. Toyota last won North American Car of the Year in 2004 with the second-generation Prius.

Toyota GR Corolla

The Toyota GR Corolla completes the trio of Toyota contenders. The Japanese automaker’s strong presence in the semi-finals exemplifies its position in the market as a whole.

BMW 5 Series

The new BMW 5 Series has been nominated for the semi-finals. BMW is the only German manufacturer with a vehicle in this year’s semi-finals.

BMW i5

The BMW i5, the electrified version of the 5 Series, has also advanced to the next round as a different entry. The i5 is one of only two electric vehicles to make the semi-finals.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the other electric vehicle semifinalist in the car category. The Ioniq 5 was a finalist in the utility vehicle category in 2022 but lost to the Ford Bronco.

Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is also moving on to the semi-final. Honda has won North American Car of the Year four times, most recently with the new Civic in 2022.

Subaru Impreza

The venerable Subaru Impreza is also among the semi-finalists. Subaru has never won the award in any category.

Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang is one of only two domestic cars to reach the semi-finals. Ford hasn’t won the award since 2010 with the Fusion Hybrid, a model that no longer exists.

Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray

The hybrid Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the other domestic car to be nominated. The Corvette has won North American Car of the Year three times in 1998, 2014 and 2020.