Integra Sedan

Make
Acura
Segment
Sedan

It's that time of the year once again when the finalists for the 2023 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists have been revealed. Officially announced at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show, a total of nine vehicles in three categories from eight brands made the final cut. Of those nine models, six are pure battery electrics, and each category includes at least one.

Even more interesting, the utility segment category consists entirely of EVs. The car finalists are certainly a diverse mix, consisting of a combustion-engined compact luxury sedan, a rear-wheel-drive V6 sports car, and an all-electric mid-size sedan. As for the trucks, two are from legacy brands, while the third is from a troubled startup. The 2022 winners were the Honda Civic, Ford Maverick, and Ford Bronco.

So without further ado, here's the complete list.

Car of the Year Finalists:

Truck of the Year Finalists:

Utility Vehicle of the Year:

"Our nine finalists for 2023 represent a diverse cross-section of this year's best new vehicles, ranging from sports cars to powerful pickups to three electric utility vehicles - which is the first time in our history that all three finalists in a specific category are battery-electric," said NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg.

In order for a vehicle to be eligible, it must be completely new or substantially updated from the outgoing version. These finalists were chosen from a list announced in September, consisting of 26 vehicles.

We're a little surprised that the Lordstown Endurance made the Truck list, as production only began last month, and the EV is set to be a commercial vehicle only.

During the test drive and evaluation period in October, over two dozen jurors took part in an informal poll as part of an effort to predict future automotive trends. Some of those predictions include EVs making up 10% of new vehicle sales between 2023-2025 or 2025-2027. A total of 25% of new vehicle sales could be EVs between 2027-2030, potentially increasing to 50% between 2030-2035. They also predict new car prices will continue to increase and owners will continue keeping their existing vehicle(s) for a longer period in order to compensate.

By 2024, it's predicted the long-running supply chain problems enacted by the pandemic will finally be mostly resolved. The winners for each category will be revealed at a special event in Detroit on January 11. If you're wondering why it'll take so long, this judging process is no easy feat.