The winners for the 2022 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicles of the Year (NACTOY) awards have been announced during a joint press conference at Huntington Place in Detroit. Nine finalists within the three segments underwent three rounds of independently verified voting, which stemmed from hundreds of hours of test driving, research, and evaluation. And the winners were big wins for Ford Motor Company, with the Maverick and Bronco taking home top prizes.
The jurors voted the winners in each category based on segment leadership, design, safety, handling, innovation, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar. The votes were counted confidentially by Deloitte LLP and remained in secret until the envelopes were unsealed during the event. So, without further delay, here are the winners.
Image copyright Manoli Katakis, Muscle Cars & Trucks## 2022 North American Truck Of The Year: Ford Maverick
The Truck of the Year award was arguably the most interesting, with three very distinct newcomers, whittled down from other nominees that included the GMC Hummer EV. Jurors had to choose between the Rivian R1T, the first all-electric truck to reach the market, the Ford Maverick, and the Hyundai Santa Cruz. The Maverick and Santa Cruz mark themselves as very different types of trucks as they redefine and revive the smaller pickup segment with unibody FWD-based architectures that deliver impressive fuel economy and approachable prices. After the votes were tallied, the Ford Maverick came out on top as the Truck of the Year for North America.
2022 North American SUV Of The Year: Ford Bronco
The 2022 North American SUV of the Year was between the rugged Ford Bronco, the refined Genesis GV70, and the all-electric Hyundai IONIQ 5. However, there could only be one winner within this segment, and the jurors voted for the Ford Bronco, which has seen quite a triumphant return since its disappearance in 1996.
Lastly, the North American Car of the Year winner goes to the Honda Civic. Jurors had the choice between the Volkswagen Golf, Lucid Air, and the all-new 2022 Honda Civic. The Lucid Air was stated as being a game-changing luxury electric car, but even so, it didn’t take the cake for the jury of 50 journalists across North America. The Car of the Year award used to hold more prestige, but with customers indulging on trucks and SUVs these days, the award doesn’t hold the same amount of sheen that it used to.
Image copyright Manoli Katakis, Muscle Cars & Trucks.
