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Hyundai Elantra, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Win 2021 NACTOY Awards

by Guillaume Rivard
Photo: Hyundai

The winners of the 2021 North American Car, SUV and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards were announced today in a virtual event held in partnership with the North American International Auto Show.

The 50-member jury of independent automotive journalists from Canada and the United States first selected the all-new, seventh-generation Hyundai Elantra as the 2021 North American Car of the Year.

Photo: Patrice Marchessault

After winning the title in 2012, the Elantra recaptured the crown thanks to its striking design and new hybrid variant burning just 4.7 L/100 km. There’s also the turbocharged Elantra N Line, a sportier and more aggressively styled model, not to mention the upcoming high-performance Elantra N.

The two other finalists were the Genesis G80 and Nissan Sentra. The Elantra is following in the footsteps of the Chevrolet Corvette, which took home the trophy last year.

Next, the all-new Ford Mustang Mach-E won the 2021 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award. The fully electric crossover inspired by the legendary Mustang, which received more votes than the Genesis GV80 and Land Rover Defender, succeeds the Kia Telluride.

Photo: Antoine Joubert

Available with RWD or AWD as well as a choice of two battery sizes, the Mustang Mach-E provides a range of up to 483 kilometres. The GT Performance model, rated at 459 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque, sprints from 0-100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds—quicker than any production Mustang ever made. 

Finally, the North American Truck of the Year award was handed to the Ford F-150, marking the first time since 2014 that the same brand has won multiple NACTOY awards in the same year. The other finalists were the Jeep Gladiator Mojave and Ram 1500 TRX.

This is the fifth time that the F-150 is crowned. It also won the honour in 1996, 2004, 2009 and 2015. Last year’s recipient was the Jeep Gladiator.

Photo: Ford

Now in its 14th generation, Ford’s full-size pickup stands out with a powerful hybrid variant achieving under 10 L/100 km and offering an on-board generator to power electric tools and devices. Inside the innovative cabin, you’ll find an available 12-inch display with the latest generation of SYNC, front seats that turn into beds and a centre console that folds open to create a work space. Let’s not forget the available hands-free semi-autonomous driving system.

As a reminder, we at The Car Guide gave our 2021 awards to the Polestar 2 (Best New Car), Toyota RAV4 Prime (Best New SUV) and the quartet made up of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade (Best New Truck).

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