Ford Has Won Truck Of The Year Six Years Straight — Now It's Not Even In The RunningGuessing HeadlightsAndre NalinThu, September 17, 2026 at 5:00 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleImage Credit: Ford.The Ford F-150 has just received a surprisingly substantial update for 2027. There's a new standard engine, expanded V8 availability, hands-free towing technology, and even a new Carhartt edition, giving America's longtime truck sales leader plenty of fresh hardware for the new model year.None of that has landed the F-150 a spot among the vehicles currently competing for one of North America's best-known automotive awards. In fact, Ford doesn't have a truck in the field at all.The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year organization has revealed its "Best of 2027" contenders after 46 independent automotive journalists voted on an initial field of 56 eligible vehicles. Just four trucks advanced to the next stage.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe F-150 isn't one of them. Instead, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Ram 1500 TRX SRT, and upcoming Slate Truck are competing for the 2027 North American Truck of the Year title.Ford's Six-Year Winning Streak Is OverImage Credit: Ford.Ford's absence is particularly notable because the company has dominated this category recently. A Ford truck has won North American Truck of the Year every year since 2021.That run started with the F-150 itself in 2021, followed by the Maverick in 2022 and the F-150 Lightning in 2023. The Super Duty won in 2024, Ranger followed in 2025, and the Maverick Lobo extended Ford's streak to six consecutive victories for 2026.That streak now has to end. With no Ford among the four trucks advancing for 2027, another manufacturer is guaranteed to take the trophy when the winner is announced next January.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt's worth noting that NACTOY has not publicly said the 2027 F-150 was specifically voted out. The organization considers new or substantially changed vehicles, and its announcement only identifies the 56-vehicle starting field collectively rather than listing every model that failed to advance.The F-150 Still Got Plenty Of Updates For 2027The omission might seem surprising considering Ford hasn't simply carried over last year's F-150 unchanged. The 2027 truck replaces its standard 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with a new 3.0-liter EcoBoost, while the 5.0-liter V8 returns to King Ranch and Platinum models.Ford has also introduced BlueCruise with Towing, allowing properly equipped F-150s to use hands-free, eyes-on highway driving assistance while pulling a trailer. New lower-cost versions of the Tremor and Raptor arrive as well, alongside redesigned grilles and wheels for several trims and the first F-150 Carhartt edition.The catch is that this is an update to the existing 14th-generation F-150 rather than an all-new truck. NACTOY's process specifically centers on vehicles that are new or substantially changed, which makes the exact eligibility status of the 2027 F-150 an important distinction.Only Four Trucks Are Still In The RunningImage Credit: Slate.The remaining truck field is unusually small and diverse. Chevrolet and GMC are represented by the Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500, while Ram has its revived high-performance 1500 TRX SRT, and startup Slate brings its radically simple electric pickup.AdvertisementAdvertisementThose four haven't reached the finalist stage yet. Jurors will evaluate the "Best of 2027" vehicles at NACTOY's Michigan Ride & Drive from October 20–22 before three finalists from each category are announced November 19 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.The winners will then be revealed January 14 at the Detroit Auto Show. Whoever takes the truck trophy, we already know that for the first time in seven award cycles, the badge on it won't be Ford's.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
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