45 Models Up For North American Car/Truck Awards

A total of forty-five different cars, trucks, and crossovers will square off in one of the toughest battles outside the showroom: the competition for the annual North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) trophies. The two awards are presented each year by a jury consisting of fifty U.S. and Canadian auto writers and are generally hailed as the most independent and unbiased in a slew of honors handed out each year to vehicles sold in North America.

The 2013 NACTOY line-up this year covers the gamut, from the new Acura ILX entry-luxury sedan to the Toyota RAV4-EV battery-electric vehicle. There are thirty models that fall into the passenger car category and another fifteen in the truck list – a significant increase over the 2012 truck line-up. Imports - like the 2013 Nissan Altima - have a major presence on both the car and truck lists this year.

Notably, five models are dedicated battery-based vehicles, whether "conventional" hybrids like the Toyota Prius C, or pure battery-electric vehicles such as the Ford Focus Electric and Honda Fit EV. The list also include a start-up manufacturer qualifying for the first time: California-based Tesla with its Model S battery car. There are a number of other models, such as the Chevrolet Malibu and the Toyota Avalon, which will be offered with optional hybrid drive lines.

The 2013 NACTOY list underscores the increasing shift back to passenger cars – and the shoot-out taking place in the critical midsize sedan segment. Among the offerings in that class eligible for the 2013 trophy are the Malibu, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, and Nissan Altima.

Members of the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury will narrow down the initial "Long List" through a series of votes over the next six months after test driving all forty-five vehicles. The final results of what is the awards’ twentieth anniversary will be announced at the opening ceremonies of the Detroit Auto Show next January.

Here’s the full list of models on the NACTOY List: Acura ILX; BMW 3-series sedan; BMW 6-series Gran Coupe; Cadillac ATS; Cadillac XTS; Chevrolet Malibu; Chevrolet Spark; Dodge Dart; Ford Fusion; Ford Focus electric; Honda Accord; Honda Fit EV; Hyundai Azera; Hyundai Elantra GT; Kia Cadenza; Lexus ES; Lexus GS; Lincoln MKZ; Mazda 6; Mercedes SL; Nissan Altima; Nissan Sentra; Porsche 911; Porsche Boxster; Scion FR-S; SRT Viper; Subaru BRZ; Tesla S; Toyota Avalon; Toyota Yaris; and Toyota Prius C.

For American truck/utility vehicles: Acura RDX; Audi allroad; BMW X1; Ford Escape; Ford C-Max; Hyundai Santa Fe; Infiniti JX 35; Mazda CX-5; Mercedes GL; Mercedes GLK; Mercedes G Class; Nissan Pathfinder; Ram 1500; Subaru SV Crosstrek; and the Toyota RAV4 EV.

NAFA Fleet Management Association
125 Village Blvd., Suite 200
Princeton, NJ 08540

Telephone: 609.720.0882 Fax: 609.452.8004