2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) nominees
It’s that time of the year again, time to whittle down the long list of new cars and trucks to decide which one is crowned car and truck/utility of the year award for 2013. The list below is referred to as the long list. For the most part, all new cars and trucks make it to this list. Currently, there are 45 nominees, 30 are cars, 15 are truck/utility types. A couple more may be added before the end of the long list is voted on.
In the fall 50 jurors from the United States and Canada will vote on the cars and trucks to bring the number down to a manageable group. A couple of months later the same 50 jurors will vote on 3 cars and trucks they think are deserving of the title Car/Truck of the Year. At the 2013 North American International Auto Show, held in Detroit MI, the winner will be announced.
This is the 20th anniversary of the NACTOY awards and some refinements have been made. After much discussion, and hundreds of emails, the truck award will now be called the truck/utility award. This point is highlighted by the fact that there are only two body-on-frame vehicles in the award, the Ram 1500 and the Mercedes G-Class. Last year the Landrover Evoque won the truck award, which should have been more of a utility award.
The Hyundai Elantra won the 2012 Car of the Year award. This year the competition will be even stiffer. There are 5 alternative powertrain source vehicles, including electric and hybrid. For the first time ever a Tesla is on the list. The bulk of the list of cars is midsize vehicles, which gives us an indication of where 2013 is headed. The list is dominated by Japanese makes, but there are some strong contenders in the Korean, European and domestic markets.
the first time a Tesla has been nominated for North American Car of the year
2013 North American Car of the Year Long List:
Acura ILX
BMW 3-series sedan
BMW 6-series Gran Coupe
Cadillac ATS
Cadillac XTS
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Spark
Dodge Dart
Ford Fusion
Ford Focus electric vehicle (EV)
Honda Accord
Honda Fit electric vehicle (EV)
Hyundai Azera
Hyundai Elantra GT
Kia Cadenza
Lexus ES
Lexus GS
Lincoln MKZ
Mazda 6
Mercedes SL
Nissan Altima
Nissan Sentra
Porsche 911
Porsche Boxster
Scion FR-S
SRT Viper
Subaru BRZ
Tesla S electric vehicle (EV)
Toyota Avalon
Toyota Yaris
Toyota Prius C
2013 North American Truck/Utility Long List:
Acura RDX
Audi Allroad
BMW X1
Ford Escape
Ford C-Max
Hyundai Santa Fe
Infiniti JX 35
Mazda CX-5
Mercedes GL
Mercedes GLK
Mercedes G Class
Nissan Pathfinder
Ram 1500
Subaru SV Crosstrek
Toyota RAV4 EV
Lou Ann Hammond, the CEO, www.drivingthenation.com, is a member of the North American Car Truck/Utility of the Year jury
