Ram, Nissan led Finalists for 2026 North American Vehicle Awards

Ram and Nissan each secured two of the nine finalist positions for the 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards, with the announcement kicking off the los Angeles Auto Show this week.

The finalists represent the three vehicle categories in the annual awards and were chosen based on votes from 50 U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists,according to Jeff Gilbert,NACTOY president and an automotive reporter at WWJ-AM (950) radio in metro Detroit.

Car of the Year finalists include the Dodge Charger, Honda prelude, and nissan Sentra. Truck of the Year finalists are the Ford Maverick Lobo, Ram 1500 Hemi, and Ram 2500. Utility Vehicle of the Year finalists consist of the Hyundai Palisade, Lucid Gravity, and Nissan Leaf.

The announcement of the finalists occurred on Thursday, November 20, 2025, and the winners will be revealed on Wednesday, january 14, 2026, at the Detroit Auto Show, as stated in a news release.