{"id":27514,"date":"2021-06-22T08:47:30","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T12:47:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=27514"},"modified":"2021-06-22T08:47:30","modified_gmt":"2021-06-22T12:47:30","slug":"nactoy-nominees-suvs-and-evs-galore-small-pickups-stylish-sedans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/06\/nactoy-nominees-suvs-and-evs-galore-small-pickups-stylish-sedans","title":{"rendered":"NACTOY nominees: SUVS and EVs galore, small pickups, stylish sedans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let the awards season commence.<\/p>\n

The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) has released its list of 38 cars, trucks and SUVs eligible for its 2022 awards. The roll call boasts a diverse range of vehicles from U.S., European\u00a0and Asian manufacturers \u2014 including three battery-powered startups. The list representing industry trends toward\u00a0utes and small pickups,\u00a0as well as electric vehicles as automakers test the waters for battery power.<\/p>\n

\"Tour<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Twenty-five percent of entries are all-electric vehicles though EV sales make up just 2% market share. Automakers are counting on huge federal subsidies to goose sales this year, including a Senate proposal of $12,500 per car. Eight of the NACTOY entries are pickup trucks, a jump from previous years as automakers like Ford and Hyundai see opportunity in small pickups, and luxury EV makers like Plymouth-based startup Rivian and GMC bank target well-to-do buyers.<\/p>\n

The U.S. consumer market is the world\u2019s richest and 70% of the entries are foreign models. Coming off a year when the COVID pandemic depressed sales by 16%, the entry list indicates automakers are bullish about consumer demand.<\/p>\n

\u201cUtilities of all types and sizes continue as the largest and most popular vehicle category, so the large number of them comes as no surprise,\u201d NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg said in a statement. “However, the number of eligible pickups is the most we\u2019ve seen in several years, reflecting trends toward smaller pickups and electrics.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"2022<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Leading the pickup charge is Ford with a refresh of its fire-breathing F-150 Raptor super-truck (part of an F-series lineup that is America\u2019s best-selling nameplate) and small, SUV-based Maverick pickup. Sharing a chassis with the Ford Escape SUV, Maverick joins the Hyundai Santa Cruz as a segment-busting\u00a0small truck aimed at urban buyers.<\/p>\n

The GMC Hummer, Rivian R1T\u00a0and Tesla Cybertruck represent the cutting edge of the EV market as manufacturers see big potential for electrics among upscale truck buyers. In 2020, less than 2% of mainstream vehicle\u00a0sales were EVs, yet\u00a0electric made up a healthy 19% of luxury sales. Leading that charge is Tesla, which accounts for 75% of EV sales including its hot Model 3 sedan\/Model Y SUV.<\/p>\n

\"Tesla<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Typical of Tesla\u2019s brand, the Cybertruck sports a radical, spare design with stainless-steel exterior and single-screen interior. Cybertruck promises ferocious, supercar-like acceleration \u2014 as do its Hummer and R1T competition.<\/p>\n

SUVs now make up a whopping 70% of non-pickup sales as customers prefer the high-riding, hatchback body style.<\/p>\n

Ford is the favorite with its highly anticipated, off-road Bronco SUV. Aimed squarely at the popular Jeep Wrangler, the ladder frame-based dirt-kicker offers similar, open-air fun with a retro-styled design. Jeep promises to be a formidable force with an all-new version of its Jeep Grand Cherokee (including new three-row and plugin versions) and a revival of its Wagoneer nameplate as a pickup-based, three-row mega-ute.<\/p>\n

Other entries of note are new EVs from Mazda (the MX-30) and VW (the ID.4). Though the ID.4 is VW\u2019s only electric entry in the market so far, the German manufacturer has promised, along with General Motors, to be an EV-only maker in just over a decade. The ID.4 will be produced in Tennessee and aims to take advantage of a proposed $174 billion in federal funding for EVs.<\/p>\n

GM, too, is hoping that its Bolt EUV utility vehicle will generate interest after the first-gen Bolt EV hatchback failed to live up to hype. Other contenders include\u00a0the dashing Hyundai Tucson and Genesis GV70 \u2014 the latter from Hyundai\u2019s stylish, affordable luxury brand. Traditional nameplates like the Mitsubishi Outlander and Nissan Pathfinder also boast modern, high-tech entries.<\/p>\n

Sedans may be a dwindling segment of the market, but their stylish designs are still in demand,\u00a0both by entry-level customers and by manufacturers that want to make a design statement.<\/p>\n

\"Lucid<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

California startup automaker Lucid is debuting its first Air EV. The sedan is one of the most head-turning designs on the market. Other sedan stunners include the Karma GS-6 (the first car sold in the\u00a0U.S. by Chinese auto-parts supplier Wanxiang. Production is in California), Maserati MC20 (the brand\u2019s new, mid-engine supercar)\u00a0and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing\u00a0(stuffed with a powerful V-8 making over 600 horsepower).<\/p>\n

The favorites, however, will be two classic, compact nameplates: the Honda Civic and VW Golf GTI\/Golf R. Civic is the best-selling retail compact in America, offering affordable fun to entry-level buyers. And, though VW is withdrawing its standard Golf from the U.S. market,\u00a0the GTI lives on as the benchmark for affordable, performance hatchbacks.<\/p>\n

To be eligible, the 38 NACTOY entries for the\u00a0\u201822 model year must be substantially new and available for purchase before the end of this year.<\/p>\n

Judged by a panel of 50 independent journalists from the U.S. and Canada, the NACTOY awards are among North America\u2019s most prestigious. Jurors will narrow the list with a preliminary vote in September after conducting initial driving evaluations. Then they will convene in Ann Arbor in October for a semi-finalists comparison drive. Finalists will be announced in November and winners crowned in January.<\/p>\n

Car of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Audi A3<\/p>\n

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing<\/p>\n

Genesis G70<\/p>\n

Honda Civic Sedan<\/p>\n

Karma GS-6 plugin<\/p>\n

Lucid Air EV<\/p>\n

Maserati MC20<\/p>\n

Mercedes-Benz EQS EV<\/p>\n

Mercedes-Benz S-Class<\/p>\n

Subaru BRZ<\/p>\n

Toyota GR 86<\/p>\n

Volkswagen Golf Mk VIII (Golf R\/Golf GTI)<\/p>\n

Truck of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ford F-150 Raptor<\/p>\n

Ford Maverick<\/p>\n

GMC HUMMER EV<\/p>\n

Hyundai Santa Cruz<\/p>\n

Nissan Frontier<\/p>\n

Rivian R1T EV<\/p>\n

Tesla Cybertruck EV<\/p>\n

Toyota Tundra<\/p>\n

Utility Vehicle of the Year<\/strong><\/p>\n

Acura MDX<\/p>\n

Buick Envision<\/p>\n

Chevrolet Bolt EUV<\/p>\n

Ford Bronco<\/p>\n

Genesis GV70<\/p>\n

Hyundai IONIQ 5<\/p>\n

Hyundai Tucson (gas\/hybrid\/plugin)<\/p>\n

Infiniti QX60<\/p>\n

Jeep Grand Cherokee (gas, hybrid, L)<\/p>\n

Jeep Wagoneer\/Grand Wagoneer<\/p>\n

Kia Carnival<\/p>\n

Lexus NX<\/p>\n

Mazda MX-30 EV<\/p>\n

Mitsubishi Outlander<\/p>\n

Nissan Pathfinder<\/p>\n

Toyota Corolla Cross<\/p>\n

VW ID.4<\/p>\n

VW Taos<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let the awards season commence. The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) has released its list of 38 cars, trucks and SUVs eligible for its 2022 awards. The roll call boasts a diverse range of vehicles from U.S., European\u00a0and Asian manufacturers \u2014 including three battery-powered startups. The list representing industry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27514"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27514"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27514\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27515,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27514\/revisions\/27515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}