NACTOY
Ford, Hyundai win big as 2021 North American Car, Truck, SUV of the Year announced
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E came up with a trophy at the annual NACTOY awards.
While it's an honor just to be nominated as a finalist, three vehicles stood out to the jurors of the North American Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) awards. All NACTOY nominees are vehicles that have either been introduced for the 2021 model year or undergone a significant redesign.
Ford and Hyundai earned top honors with the Ford F-150 earning the North American Truck of the Year award, Ford Mustang Mach-E taking the North American SUV of the Year trophy, and the Hyundai Elantra getting the North American Car of the Year nod.
2021 North American Car of the Year: Hyundai Elantra
Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai has redesigned the Hyundai Elantra for the 2021 model year taking it from a passive daily driver to an engaging small car with a lot of zip, especially in the Elantra N model where it gets a standard manual transmission and tuning to make it a sleeper. It also has a boatload of high-tech features that make it punch far above its price tag, which starts under $20,000.
2021 North American Truck of the Year: Ford F-150
Ford didn't just redesign its F-150, it listened to its customers and made it better for them. Sure, that seems simple enough but while they may get accused of not going far enough, NACTOY jurors appear to have recognized how innovative the redesign is for the average F-150 customer. On-board generator? Check. Collapsable shifter? Check. Fold out work station for the driver? Check. Clamp zones in the tailgate? Check.
Ford recently made news saying that the F-150 will be the latest model that is available with the Tremor off-roading package.
2021 North American SUV of the Year: Ford Mustang Mach-E
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is the first all-electric crossover the company has offered and Ford is aiming to do it 100 percent right the first time. Like other electric SUVs, the Mustang Mach-E comes in a variety of battery range levels. Ford is pairing those with options for all-wheel drive and premium appointments, treating the Mustang Mach-E more as a traditional vehicle than an electric outlier.
Ford recently announced a new Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition will be added for the 2022 model year.