The 2026 winners of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards were named at the Detroit Auto Show this week.
A jury of industry experts named the Dodge Charger (STLA) as North American Car of the Year, the Ford Maverick Lobo (F) as the Truck of the Year, and the Hyundai Palisade (HYMTF) as the Utility Vehicle of the Year, following a year-long evaluation process culminating at the Detroit Auto Show.
Jurors describe the Dodge Charger (STLA) as a versatile muscle car that returns the brand to its gas-powered performance roots while adding hatchback practicality, all-wheel-drive capability, and strong interior and exterior design. The Ford Maverick Lobo was praised for creating a new space for fun-to-drive, affordable compact pickups with meaningful performance upgrades, rounding out the Maverick lineup that spans basic work trucks to off-road and hybrid variants. The Hyundai Palisade was highlighted as a feature-rich three-row family SUV with a premium-feeling cabin and robust safety features. The Palisade’s starting price under $40,000 and an available hybrid powertrain were also highlighted by the jury.
Notably, the Ram 1500 Hemi and Ram 2500 were second and third in the truck category for Stellantis (STLA), while the Lucid Gravity (LCID) landed in third place in the utility category. General Motors (GM), Toyota (TM), and Tesla (TSLA) did not have a vehicle named in the top three of any category.
The organization said the awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. The winning vehicles are considered benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, user experience, and value.