Ford, GM, Stellantis couldn't land single vehicle on car, SUV of the year finalist list
The Detroit Three automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — were shut out of the finalist lists for two of the three categories for the auto industry’s top prize: the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year, or NACTOY, awards.
Ford and GM locked up all three finalist spots for 2024 Truck of the Year, but neither they nor Stellantis could land a single vehicle among the six competitors for 2024 Car and SUV of the year.
The finalists were announced Thursday morning at the Los Angeles auto show.
The D3’s absence can be attributed largely to the automakers’ deemphasis of traditional cars — sedans, convertibles and coupes — and GM's and Stellantis’ halting movement into the market for electric vehicles. None of Stellantis’ U.S. brands — Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram — offer a battery-only vehicle. GM’s plan to aggressively launch multiple EVs from its Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands has been crippled by production problems.
Ford won SUV of the Year and Truck of the Year with its recent EVs, the 2021 Mustang Mach-E and 2023 F-150 Lightning, respectively.
”Automakers’ product cycles impact their performance in the competition,” S&P Global Mobility associate director Stephanie Brinley said. “The Detroit Three didn’t have a lot of vehicles that were eligible” for the car and SUV awards this year.
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EVs loom large
“Electric vehicles again make up more than half of our finalists,” said NACTOY jury president and WWJ-AM radio and CBS Radio Network automotive reporter Jeff Gilbert. “That shows how important they are to carmakers and how many more choices car buyers now have. But there is a lot of variety in this group, including a big work truck, a hybrid and a family sedan.”
The finalists for this year’s awards are:
2024 North American Car of the Year
Honda Accord
Hyundai Ioniq 6
Toyota Prius/Prius Prime
2024 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year
Genesis GV70 Electrified
Kia EV9
Volvo EX30
2024 North American Truck of the Year
Chevrolet Colorado
Chevrolet Silverado EV
Ford F-series Super Duty
Why the shutout
“EVs are the topic of the moment,” Brinley said. “Automakers are putting most of their effort and investment there.
“Part of the jury’s function is to communicate to buyers about new vehicles and technology.”
The D3’s failure to place a vehicle among finalists for Car or Utility Vehicle doesn’t foreshadow doom, despair or even a downturn. They’ve been shut out of two categories in a year before.
As in most things, though, it’s better to be mentioned than not.
U.S.-branded vehicles eligible for the awards were:
Semifinalists: Cars
Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
Ford Mustang
Semifinalists: SUVs
Buick Envista
Cadillac XT4
Chevrolet Blazer EV
Chevrolet Equinox EV
Chevrolet Trax
Dodge Hornet
GMC Hummer EV SUV
Jeep Wrangler
Pickups rule
Ford and Chevrolet are the biggest players in the pickup market, and the finalists are among their key vehicles.
Sales of the contractor-style work truck Chevrolet Silverado EV full-size pickup began in the third quarter of this year. It promises to deliver up to 450 miles on a charge, an important milestone for EVs.
The Colorado was a significant step for Chevy’s midsize pickup. It also benefited from Ford's and Toyota’s decisions to delay new versions of their midsize pickups, the Ranger and Tacoma, respectively, until next year.
The F-series Super Duty added a series of new features to make Ford’s medium-duty pickups more capable and easier to use. Models like the F-250 and F-350 also are the backbone of many businesses’ work fleets.
The D3 dominate the market for full-size and medium-duty pickups. Asian brands are major players in the market for midsize pickups.
Surprised, but not shocked
I’m one of the 50 automotive journalists who present the awards.
I was surprised, but not shocked, that no car from the D3 made the finals. The Corvette and Mustang have well-earned followings, and the E-ray is a leap in technology and sophistication, while the 2024 Mustang elevates its traditional internal combustion power to new levels and offers slick new technology of its own.
They’re both sporty niche vehicles. Corvettes and Mustangs have won before, but NACTOY jurors value excellent mainstream models.
The Honda Accord is a perennial top seller — a mainstay of family transportation, value and efficiency for decades. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is an important advance for EV usability and mainstream acceptance.
The Toyota Prius adds design flare and a plug-in model with up to 45 miles of electric range to the car that took hybrid technology into the heart of the auto industry.
D3 weakness in SUVs?
The three SUV finalists demonstrate how much innovation and attention in the auto industry has moved on from sedans.
Either of electric SUVs GM promised to introduce this year — the midsize Blazer and compact Equinox — would likely have had a shot at the finals, but the oft-delayed rollout of GM's EVs prevented jurors from evaluating the Blazer. The automaker postponed the Equinox launch till next year.
Nonetheless, there should be consternation from the plant floor to the executive suites at the D3. SUVs have replaced traditional cars as American buyers’ favorites. The D3 largely abandoned sedans to focus on SUVs, which have become the typical family vehicle and the most common commuters. The D3 should expect prominent spots on that list.
The NACTOY awards are presented by 50 automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada. This is the awards’ 30th year.
My fellow jurors and I will have a few weeks for further evaluation of the finalists before the winners are announced Jan. 4, 2024.
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM, Ford, Stellantis shut out from car, SUV of the year finalists
