Acura, Ford, and Kia split the 2023 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards.
The automotive industry has so many awards that they can seem like background noise. Some, though, are worth your attention.
We think the North American Car of the Year Awards (NACTOY, for short) are worth notice because they’re awarded by a jury of 50 experts from dozens of publications. Our own Allyson Harwood is among the judges.
This year, that jury honored vehicles from three different manufacturers.
2023 North American Car of the Year: Acura Integra
Acura brought back a historic nameplate for this model year and won the North American Car of the Year award in the process.
The 2023 Acura Integra is an entry-level luxury car built on the bones of last year’s NACTOY winner, the Honda Civic. It carries a lower price than many compact luxury cars, starting at $31,300. But that price gets you a stylish body and fun driving dynamics. It also gets you more practical cargo space than most rivals, thanks to its 5-door liftback design.
It beat out two other finalists, the Genesis Electrified G80 EV and the reborn Nissan Z.
2023 North American Truck of the Year: Ford F-150 Lightning
Ford beat the other established automakers in the race to bring an electric truck to market with its F-150 Lightning. The all-electric pickup takes home North American Truck of the Year honors.
With range up to 320 miles and a minimum output of 452 horsepower (pricier models get up to 580), it’s an emissions-free, low-driving cost, practical truck for a lot of buyers. Its starting price has risen considerably over the past year, now sitting at $55,974.
But a backlog of orders says that isn’t hurting Ford.
The Lightning took top honors, with the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and Lordstown Endurance also making the finals.
2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year: Kia EV6
There are a lot of new, all-electric sport utility vehicles with prices in the mid-$40,000 range. The Kia EV6, though, beat them all out for the last 2023 NACTOY prize, North American Utility Vehicle of the Year.
The EV6 is gorgeous, combining a broad-shouldered stance with a sporty front fascia. It gives shoppers flexibility, with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options and power figures ranging from 225 horsepower to an eye-popping 576.
Its $48,700 won’t be cut by a $7,500 federal tax incentive under new rules. But its 310-mile maximum range, SUV living space, and sports car looks were enough to take the title from the Cadillac Lyriq and Genesis GV60.
