The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) Awards organization announced its list of semifinalists this week at the North American International Auto Show.
Following a vote by NACTOY jurors, 26 vehicles were selected to advance to the next round of the 2023 awards process. The list includes 10 cars, three trucks and 13 utility vehicles that are all new or substantially new and are or will be on sale this year. The semifinalists emerged from an initial list of 47 eligible cars, trucks and utility vehicles that was announced in June via the first of three NACTOY jury votes.
"This year's group of semifinalists highlights the changes we've seen sweeping across the automotive industry in recent years: Most mainstream vehicles now fall into the utility category; most vehicles in the car category are focused on performance or luxury; and more electric vehicles than ever before are starting to hit the market," said NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg. "NACTOY jurors look forward to testing and evaluating these vehicles before the next vote."
NACTOY's awards aren't decided by a single publication, but are evaluated throughout the year by 50 jurors from print, online, radio and broadcast media across the U.S. and Canada. The jurors vote three times during the year to reduce the list of eligible vehicles down to semifinalists, finalists and, finally, winners.
"I would also like to thank Rod Alberts, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, for the opportunity to announce our semifinalists here at the Detroit Auto Show," Witzenburg said. "Last year's semifinalist announcement at Motor Bella delivered the excitement of a new format, and it's invigorating to be part of relaunching the Auto Show in its new fall schedule with this year's slate of estimable vehicles."
An important next step in the year-long process is an annual comparison drive that will take place Oct. 17 to 20, when jurors will evaluate the semifinalist vehicles before voting to select three finalists in each group. The finalists will be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Nov. 16, and winners will be announced at a special event in Detroit on Jan. 11.
