Eight cars, six trucks, and nine sport utility vehicles will contend for the titles of best new car, truck, and SUV for sale in North America in the 2022 model year.
The North American Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year Awards are given in January. But the jury that grants the awards has narrowed the field down to a handful of semifinalists. They range in price from below $20,000 to over $100,000. Six are electric vehicles, while three are available with hybrid powertrains.
The semi-finalists include two vehicles that, together, bring back a category that has been off the market for at least a decade. The Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz are true compact pickups. The list also includes two vehicles from startup companies so new they haven’t yet delivered a vehicle to a customer. The Lucid Air and Rivian R1T are both under consideration as possibly the best new vehicles for sale on the continent – an extraordinary accomplishment for two companies few outside the auto industry have ever heard of.
A jury of 50 automotive journalists votes on the awards, including our own Matt DeLorenzo.
2022 North American Car of the Year Contenders:
- Audi A3
- Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
- Genesis G70
- Honda Civic
- Lucid Air
- Mercedes-Benz EQS
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Volkswagen Golf Mk VIII (Golf R/Golf GTI)
2022 North American Truck of the Year Contenders:
2022 North American SUV of the Year Contenders:
- Ford Bronco
- Genesis GV70
- Hyundai IONIQ 5
- Hyundai Tucson (HEV/ICE/PHEV)
- Jeep Grand Cherokee (ICE, PHEV, L)
- Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer
- Kia Carnival
- Nissan Pathfinder
- VW ID.4
