Ram and Jeep Make the Semifinalist Round for 2021 NACTOY Awards
Every year in the auto industry, there are many automotive shows where automakers get a chance to show the world what’s new, but 2020 wasn’t a very cooperative year for such events. With many presentations going digital, even awards shows have been performed at a distance. Even so, many publications and organizations conduct competitions, some holding more weight than others. Recently, the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) Awards wrapped up the semifinalists’ round, with a total of 27 vehicles making it to the next round.
Like the name of the awards says, there are three different categories an automobile can compete in – a passenger vehicle, a utility vehicle, or a truck. A panel of judges consisting of automotive journalists and professionals from print, online, radio and broadcast media platforms all judge vehicles over several characteristics. The NACTOY awards judge vehicles on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value. Making it to the semifinalist round is a win all on its own.
“Many of the new models on our semifinalist list make bold statements that are intended to distinguish them within their segments…Several are all-electric, while others have groundbreaking designs or off-the-charts capabilities. It will be fascinating to see which risks pay off this year as our evaluation process continues.” – NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg
With the semifinalist round now over, there will be another round for the judges in early October, 5-8, 2020. This second round will give jurors another chance to finalize their choices for the final round of the competition. For each category, the three most popular vehicles will be listed, but only one vehicle from each group can take home the gold. We’ll hear about which vehicles go onto the final round in December 2020. The LA Auto Show will be hosting a special event for the 2021 NACTOY Awards. Originally, winners would be announced in January 2021 during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, but it’s hard to know if that will still take place in a post-pandemic world with numbers still pretty high.
But enough about that.
Two vehicles from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) made the cut for the semi finalist round. No passenger vehicles, no utility vehicles (surprisingly), no – it’s all trucks this year. It was only trucks last year too, and wouldn’t you know it’s from the two brands known to lead the pack, Ram and Jeep®. During the 2020 NACTOY Awards, the Jeep Gladiator and Ram Heavy Duty were entered into the competition. This year, the Jeep Gladiator Mojave and the Ram 1500 TRX are competing for the gold.
Wow, this is going to be a tough one. Ram and Jeep are up against Ford, so we already know it’s down to two truck brands. The Jeep Gladiator Mojave is also known as the Desert-Rated version of the Jeep pickup truck. A whole new brand of off-road vehicles designed specifically for traversing sandy dunes, this could really shake things up. Then again, the 2021 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX has been a long-awaited vehicle, and this monster of a truck made its debut just in time.
Watch these two duke it out in the final round when you follow us on Aventura Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram social media. Check out the Jeep Gladiator Mojave or 2021 Ram 1500 Rebel TRX for yourself and contact us.