The jury’s deliberations have named this year’s crop of top vehicles.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

January 11, 2023

2 Min Read
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Images courtesy of Kia, Ford, Acura

After weighing the merits of the three finalists in each of the three categories, Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year, the North American Car of the Year jury has picked its winners.

They are the Acura Integra as Car of the Year, Ford F-150 Lightning as Truck of the Year, and Kia EV6 as SUV of the Year.

The Integra topped the Nissan Z and Genesis G80 to grab its prize. “Honda’s luxury brand rebirths its second-best original name on its best new car,” observed outgoing jury president Gary Witzenburg. “The Honda Civic-based Acura Integra looks good, drives well and is among the very few in its (or any) segment offering a slick-shifting manual transmission.”

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The electric F-150 Lighting coasted to an unsurprising runaway victory over rivals Chevrolet Silverado ZR2 and Lordstown Endurance. “When America’s best-selling vehicle goes electric you know the transition has momentum,” noted Forbes columnist Karl Brauer. “Ford’s effort to create an all-electric F-150 is remarkable because it combines the standard truck’s dimensions, which means it retains massive aftermarket support, with substantial upgrades to areas like storage and mobile power support. It’s really the best of all worlds, giving the F-150 Lightning a wide range of applications for both traditional and new-to-the-segment truck customers.”

Related:2023 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year Finalists

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Kia’s high-tech EV6 topped worthy rivals in the Cadillac Lyriq and Genesis GV60 for SUV of the Year honors. “The Kia EV6 hits squarely in the heart of the U.S. market – an excellent mid-size SUV,” explained Jeff Gilbert, from Detroit’s WWJ Newsradio 950. “It’s also a well-done electric vehicle, fun to drive, easy to charge and nice looking.”

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About the Author(s)

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

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