2021 Ram TRX Joins NACTOY Eligibility List

DETROIT, Aug. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) Awards has added the 2021 Ram TRX performance truck to its list of eligible vehicles for the 2021 awards.

"The Ram TRX - whose existence has been embargoed until today - completes our list of 46 eligible vehicles for 2021 NACTOY Car, Truck and Utility of the year Awards," said NACTOY president Gary Witzenburg.

NACTOY accepted vehicle entries from automakers later than usual this year to better accommodate an unusual product launch cycle impacted by COVID-19. Still, the pace of innovative product introductions from the industry has been intense.

"With 13 cars, four trucks and a mind-boggling 29 utility vehicles - many of them late-year launches - contending for these coveted awards, it will be another exciting and highly competitive year," Witzenburg said.

NACTOY's 50 jurors will conduct an initial vote to reduce this list of eligible vehicles to a more manageable number of Semi-Finalists on Sept. 28 - about a month later than normal - to allow automakers with late entries more time to get NACTOY jurors into them for evaluation prior to that vote.

Jurors will continue to test and evaluate all eligible vehicles as they are made available through the rest of this year, including during an Oct. 5-8 annual comparison drive.

Semi-Finalists in each category will be announced in November at the LA Auto Show, Finalists in December and category winners in Detroit in January 2021.

To be eligible, vehicles must be all-new or substantially new and must be available at dealerships before the end of the year.

The Updated List of 2021 NACTOY Candidates with Additions:

Car of the Year
Acura TLX
Audi A8 L 60 TFSI e
BMW 330e and 330e xDrive
BMW 430i, 430i xDrive and M440i xDrive
Cadillac CT4/CT4-V
Genesis G80
Hyundai Elantra family (includes N Line and HEV)
Kia K5
Lexus IS
Mercedes-Benz E Class Sedan, All-Terrain, Coupe, Cabriolet
MINI Cooper SE
Nissan Sentra
Polestar 2

Utility of the Year
Audi Q5 55 TFSI e
BMW X3 xDrive30e
BMW X5 xDrive45e
Buick Encore GX
Cadillac Escalade
Chevrolet Tahoe/Suburban
Chevrolet Trailblazer
Chrysler Pacifica
Dodge Durango
Ford Bronco Sport
Ford Mustang Mach E
Genesis GV80
GMC Yukon/Yukon XL
Honda CR-V Hybrid
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Venue
Kia Seltos
Kia Sorento
Land Rover Defender 90 and 110
Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring
Mazda CX-30
Mercedes-Benz GLA
Nissan Rogue
Toyota Highlander
Toyota RAV4 Prime
Toyota Sienna
Toyota Venza
Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport
Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge

Truck of the Year
*Ram TRX
Ford F-150
Ford Super Duty
Jeep Gladiator Mojave
*Added to list

Spanish and French versions of this release will be available on NACTOY's website. For more information about NACTOY and its history: http://northamericancaroftheyear.org.

ABOUT NORTH AMERICAN CAR, UTILITY AND TRUCK OF THE YEAR

The awards are intended to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. The organization gives out three awards. They are: "North American Car of the Year," "North American Utility Vehicle of the Year," and "North American Truck of the Year." The awards are unique because they are given by an independent jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada instead of being given by a single publication, website, radio or television station.

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SOURCE North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year Awards (NACTOY)