The Los Angeles Auto Show opened with a headline moment: the announcement of the finalists for the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year. A jury of auto experts from the United States and Canada spent months evaluating new models and narrowed the field to a top three in each category. SPEEDME.RU has published the full list of contenders.

In the Car of the Year category, the Dodge Charger, Honda Prelude, and Nissan Sentra will vie for the title. The pickup shortlist features the Ford Maverick Lobo, Ram 1500 Hemi, and Ram 2500. Among crossovers and electric vehicles, the finalists are the Hyundai Palisade, Lucid Gravity, and the updated Nissan Leaf. It’s a concise but telling mix: familiar nameplates meet fresh energy, setting up interesting head-to-heads.

Judges will continue testing through the end of the year before casting their votes. Winners will be revealed on January 14 at the Detroit Auto Show. It’s a traditional milestone for the program—NACTOY is widely regarded as one of the most influential automotive honors in North America, and the shortlist tends to set the tone for the year ahead.

For 2025, the winners were the Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Ranger, and Volkswagen ID. Buzz. In different years, the Toyota Prius, Acura Integra, Kia EV6, and other well-known models have also been recognized, a track record that hints at how the award often mirrors broader shifts in the market.

The 2026 trio looks set for a tight contest, with each model speaking to its own audience and philosophy. On paper, none of them is easy to dismiss—January will decide the rest.