GM Grabs Half the NACTOY Truck Of The Year Field

“This is a diverse field of vehicles that reflects the changing nature of the auto industry,” said Jeff Gilbert, president of NACTOY and auto reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950 in Detroit, in a release. “Our jurors started with 56 eligible vehicles and selected 25 to advance, representing a mix of conventional and new technologies. Now the competition becomes even more focused as we work toward selecting this year’s finalists and winners.”

There are five cars remaining, including: Audi A6, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, Kia K4 Hatchback, Lexus ES, and Mercedes-Benz CLA 220 Hybrid.

The largest field of survivors is the 16 utility vehicles, which include: Audi Q9, BMW iX3, Chevrolet Bolt, Genesis GV60 Magma, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Wagoneer REEV, Jeep Recon, Kia EV3, Kia Seltos, Kia Telluride, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue Hybrid e-Power, Rivian R2, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, and Volvo EX60

Just four trucks are left. General Motors owns two of them. According to NACTOY, the Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 have both advanced to the next round of judging for 2027, which is a tidy result when the whole category has only four names in it.

The Silverado and Sierra share GM's T1 architecture and the same mechanical hardware, so calling this two distinct entries is a bit of a stretch. GM splits the pair by styling, trim structure, and features to chase slightly different slices of the full-size market, but under the sheetmetal it's one truck wearing two badges.

Both offer the same broad powertrain menu for 2027: the turbocharged 2.7-liter I4 L4B, the naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V8 L76, the naturally aspirated 6.6-liter V8 L78, and the 3.0-liter I6 LZ0 turbodiesel Duramax.

Who else made the cut? A pair of very different rivals. The two GM pickups will square off with Ram's high-performance 1500 SRT TRX and the battery-powered Slate Truck from the EV startup. A muscle-bound half-ton, a bare-bones electric newcomer, and two versions of the same GM truck — the diversity is doing some heavy lifting.

According to NACTOY, its jury of 46 independent automotive journalists from the United States, Canada, and Mexico whittled an initial field of 56 vehicles down to 25 across all categories, including five cars and 16 utility vehicles. Jurors grade each contender on a long list: how safe it is, how it looks, what it does differently, how it drives, its tech, its value, and how satisfied owners come away.

As usual, EVs were well represented, accounting for 11 of the semifinalists. They also account for some of the surprises, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, which saw the rest of its lineup get canceled for 2027 due to poor sales. That said, electric vehicles have captured at least one category every year since 2023.

The process sees the group's jurors head to Ann Arbor, Michigan for NACTOY's Ride & Drive event from Oct. 20-22, where jurors get to run the competitors back to back under the same conditions before the field narrows further. Three finalists per category get named Nov. 19 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Winners follow on January 14th at the Detroit Auto Show. The 2027 cycle also introduces a first-ever award recognizing standout automotive technology.

[Images: Lexus, Jeep, Kia, Rivian, Hyundai]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.