DETROIT — The 2025 North American Car of the Year award was awarded to the Honda Civic hybrid, while the Ford Ranger secured the top spot for trucks. In the utility category, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz was recognized with the award.
The winners were revealed on Friday morning during an event hosted by the Automotive Press Association, which coincides with the opening of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A panel of 50 journalists from both the United States and Canada were responsible for determining the winners, evaluating a range of criteria including innovation, design, performance, driver satisfaction, and overall value, as outlined by the North American awards organization.
This year’s announcement marked a significant occasion as the awards returned to their traditional January timeframe at the Detroit Auto Show, following a few years of being conducted in different locations due to pandemic-related interruptions and delays that pushed the event to the fall schedule.
These accolades are significant for automakers as they suggest how their vehicles are perceived by the media, and they serve as influential indicators for consumers in their purchasing decisions.
In addition to the victorious Honda Civic hybrid, the car finalists this year included the Kia K4 compact and the Toyota Camry.
The truck finalists featured the Toyota Tacoma, a midsize pickup, along with the full-sized Ram 1500. The utility category finalists included the Chevrolet Equinox electric vehicle and the Hyundai Santa Fe crossovers.
In 2024, the finalists exhibited a more diverse lineup, featuring fewer purely electric vehicles compared to the previous year, while emphasizing a variety of gasoline, hybrid, and electric options.
