The North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year (2019 NACTOY) jurors have named their list of semi-finalists for the prestigious award. This year, four General Motors vehicles are in the running.
In the car category is the 2018 Buick Regal TourX, which faces 10 other contenders for the award. The rest of the semi-finalists are:
- 2019 Audi A6
- 2019 Genesis G70
- 2019 Honda Insight
- 2019 Hyundai Veloster
- 2019 Kia Forte
- 2019 Mazda6
- 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class
- 2019 Nissan Altima
- 2018 Nissan Leaf
- 2019 Toyota Avalon/Avalon Hybrid
- 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
- 2019 Volkswagen Jetta
- 2019 Volvo S60
The Regal TourX is the first Buick wagon (though the brand calls it a crossover) from the brand in decades and has been met with mixed reviews. We found the Regal TourX to be a welcome addition to the Buick portfolio, though its interior seems a league away from more luxurious competition.
Moving to the utility category, the 2019 Cadillac XT4 represents GM. The XT4 launches this fall (we’re currently driving the compact luxury crossover for our first review) and marks an important vehicle for the brand. Cadillac has lacked a true compact crossover for years and has missed out while prominent rivals invaded and scooped up precious market share. The other semi-finalist for the utility category follow:
- 2019 Acura RDX
- 2019 BMW X5
- 2019 Cadillac XT4
- 2018 Hyundai Kona
- 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe
- 2019 Infiniti QX50
- 2019 Jaguar I-Pace
- 2018 Jeep Wrangler
- 2018 Nissan Kicks
- 2019 Subaru Ascent
- 2019 Toyota RAV4
- 2019 Volvo XC40
As the crossover and SUV segment heats up, the 2019 NACTOY utility award has become more coveted. This year, the XT4 faces stiff competition from a number of new models.
Finally, the truck category sees just three contenders, and the odds—on paper—are in GM’s favor. The three semi-finalists for the truck award are the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and 2019 Ram 1500. Both the 2019 Silverado and Sierra are fresh off of their launches; a truck of the year award would surely bolster their market perception, but the Ram 1500 has proved a formidable opponent in comparison tests.
The jury will dwindle the list down to three finalists to be announced at the Los Angeles auto show in November. From there, a final round of voting will occur to name one winner in each category at the 2019 Detroit auto show.
Comments
Not the popular vote here, but I’d bet money the Ram wins it.. and deserves it, unfortunately
if there were only American brand cars in the segment the reports would show none making the list SAD ( only 4) just for the record foreign brands are crap
Ram should take it
XT4. Couldn’t they have come up with something better to call the new baby Cadillac CUV? I keep thinking this is an offroad truck offering.