The Nissan Z and the Kia EV6 are both vying for the 2023 North American Car and Utility of Vehicle of the Year, as jurors of the most prestigious car award in North America revealed their Top 3 finalists.
After trimming the list of 47 eligible vehicles down to 26, the 50-member jurors selected the nine finalists based on elements including: automotive innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction, user experience, and value.
The finalists for each category, in alphabetical order, are:
North American Car of the Year
Acura Integra
Genesis G80 EV
Nissan Z
North American Truck of the Year
Chevrolet Silverado ZR2
Ford F-150 Lightning
Lordstown Endurance
North American Utility of the Year
Cadillac Lyriq
Genesis GV60
Kia EV6
During the North American Car of the Year (NACTOY)’s test-drive and evaluation event last October, more than two dozen jurors participated in an informal poll which offered insights into automotive topics such as electrification and production issues. Below are some key takeaways from the results:
NACTOY jurors predict EVs will make up 10 percent of new vehicle sales between either 2023 to 2025 or 2025 to 2027 (equal vote), 25 percent of new vehicle sales between 2027 to 2030, and 50 percent of new vehicle sales between 2030-2035.
NACTOY jurors also predict 2024 or 2025 will be the first year when 50 percent of vehicles eligible for a NACTOY award will be electric. Of this year’s eligible new vehicles, 40 percent were electric.
Most NACTOY jurors chose public charging limitations as the reason most buyers are not choosing EVs, followed by EV misinformation and vehicle cost, respectively.
New car prices keep hitting record highs. NACTOY jurors predict the average new car price will continue to increase and buyers will hold onto their vehicles longer to compensate.
NACTOY jurors predict supply chain and production issues caused by the pandemic will be mostly resolved by 2024.
NACTOY’s awards are unique because they are not decided by a single publication. Instead, they are evaluated throughout the year by 50 respected jurors from print, online, radio, and broadcast media across the U.S. and Canada. Those jurors vote three times during the year to reduce the list of eligible vehicles down to semifinalists, finalists and, finally, winners.
The 2023 NACTOY Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year winners will be announced on January 11, 2023.
Keyword: Nissan Z, Kia EV6 Are Finalists For 2023 North American Car And Utility Vehicle Of The Year