NACTOY Releases Vehicle Eligibility List for 2020 Awards

DETROIT, Aug. 6, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards today announced a list of 46 models eligible for the 2020 awards that illustrates the intense competition and ongoing innovation among automakers across all three vehicle categories.

This year's eligibility list includes 19 cars, 22 utilities and five trucks that are being brought to market by 23 different automotive brands. The models up for consideration range from cars with mass market appeal to luxury vehicles and all-new pickup nameplates.

"The competition is wide open across all three categories this year, with both premium and mainstream brands duking it out in the car and utility classes and an unusually high number of trucks," said NACTOY Secretary/Treasurer Kirk Bell.

To be eligible, vehicles must be all-new or substantially new and must be available at dealerships before the end of the year.

"With all this talk of consumers abandoning cars in favor of SUVs and crossovers, someone appears to have forgotten to tell the product planners," said NACTOY Vice President Chris Paukert. "This year's eligibility list for Car of the Year includes nearly 20 candidates, from affordable everyday models like the Mazda3 and Hyundai Sonata to sports cars like the BMW Z4 and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. It's a diverse bunch."

Chosen by a panel of 50 respected jurors from print, online, radio and broadcast media across the U.S. and Canada – rather than a single publication or media outlet – the awards are among the most prestigious and unique in the industry.

"The importance of the awards to consumers and manufacturers is more than just sales. It's a battle of design, technology, safety, connectivity and more to offer the best of each brand to consumers," said NACTOY President Lauren Fix. "This year's large selection of cars, utilities and trucks will challenge our independent jury of experienced veterans to evaluate each vehicle and choose the best in each category."

Jurors will select up to 12 models in each category in September and then will conduct additional driving evaluations during a comparison drive from Oct. 8-10 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Three finalists in each category will be announced at the LA Auto Show in November.

Here is the full 2020 NACTOY eligibility list:

Car of the Year
BMW 3 Series 
BMW Z4
BMW 7 Series / Alpina B7
BMW 8 Series 
Cadillac CT5
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Hyundai Sonata 
Kia Soul
Mazda3
Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
Nissan Versa
Polestar 1
Porsche 911
Subaru Legacy
Toyota Supra
Volkswagen Arteon

Utility of the Year
Audi E-Tron
Audi Q3
BMW X6
BMW X7
Cadillac XT6
Chevrolet Blazer
Ford Explorer
Ford Escape
Honda Passport
Kia Telluride
Hyundai Palisade 
Lexus UX
Lincoln Aviator
Lincoln Corsair
Mercedes-AMG GLC-Class 
Mercedes GLE-Class 
Mercedes GLS-Class 
Mercedes GLB-Class 
Mercedes EQC-Class 
Range Rover Evoque
Subaru Outback
Volvo V60 Cross Country 

Truck of the Year
Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty
Ford Ranger
GMC Sierra Heavy Duty
Jeep Gladiator
Ram Heavy Duty

NOTE: Spanish and French versions of this release will be available on NACTOY's website. For more information about NACTOY and its history: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.

ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN CAR, UTILITY AND TRUCK 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 and value for the dollar. The organization gives out three awards. They are: "North American Car of the Year," "North American Utility Vehicle of the Year," and "North American Truck 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 being given by a single publication, website, radio or television station.

SOURCE North American Car & Truck of the Year

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED