2024 North American Car/Truck/Utility of the Year Winners!2024 North American Car/Truck/Utility of the Year Winners!

The 52 members of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year took final looks at the remaining nine finalist vehicles we revealed here.

The winners they chose are the Toyota Prius and Prius Prime as Car of the Year, the Ford Super Duty as Truck of the Year, and the Kia EV9 as the Utility of the Year.

TOYOTA

Toyota Prius/Prius Prime

Toyota's Prius edged fellow finalists for Car of the Year, the Honda Accord and the Hyundai Ioniq 6. "The Toyota Prius was the butt of jokes for its looks so long that the new one is unrecognizable--and stunningly attractive," noted John Voelcker, of Car and Driver, Green Car Reports, and Charged EVs. "It still has Prius fuel economy -- 40-50 mpg under any conditions -- the Prime plug-in hybrid version has a lot more EV range, and I expect this year's Prius to appeal to a whole new group of shoppers."

FORD

Ford Super Duty

The Ford Super Duty, the company's entry in the heavy-duty pickup segment, topped Chevrolet's Silverado EV and Colorado mid-size pickup. Remember, the jury judges vehicles by how they compare to rivals in their own segments, not against each other, so the burly Super Duty was not beating up on the medium-sized Colorado in any towing or hauling competitions to win this prize.

"Ford's F-series Super Duty pickups embody the concept 'a workhorse and a show horse,'" said the Detroit Free Press's Mark Phelan. "Equally suited to construction sites and towing million-dollar trailers, it's loaded with technology to simplify its chores and keep the driver comfortable."

KIA

Kia EV9

Finally, Kia scored the win in the Utility of the Year category with its battery-electric EV9, a reasonably priced three-row family hauler that runs only on electrons. It topped the excellent Genesis GV70 Electrified and Hyundai Kona/Kona EV."

The Kia EV9 should scare the stuffing out of other mass-market brands," said John McElroy of the Autoline television show. "Kia is rapidly moving upscale with head-turning design and all the latest technology at prices below the premium brands. That's a recipe for success."

Indeed, all three vehicles demonstrate the route to success in their own categories!