NACTOY Introduces North American Car Tech Innovation of the Year™ Award

New category recognizes technologies improving the driving and ownership experience

DETROIT and NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ (NACTOY) jury today announced a new annual honor: the North American Car Tech Innovation of the Year™ Award, recognizing innovations that meaningfully enhance the driving and ownership experience.

The new award reflects the growing role software, connectivity and advanced driver technologies play in modern vehicles. Starting with the upcoming award cycle, the category will recognize a technology or feature introduced in a production vehicle sold in North America that improves safety, convenience, usability or overall vehicle functionality.

"Today's cars and trucks are differentiated by their technology," said NACTOY President, Jeff Gilbert. "It's as important, if not more important, than traditional measurements like fuel economy and horsepower. This new award allows our jurors to reward carmakers and suppliers for their innovation in this important area."

"Software and technology play a significant role in today's vehicles and the overall ownership experience," said Jill Ciminillo, a NACTOY juror and board member who helped lead development of the award. "We created this new award to recognize innovations that deliver real benefits for consumers in the area of safety, usability and convenience."

The new award expands NACTOY's longstanding mission of recognizing excellence in the automotive industry. For more than three decades, NACTOY has honored the best new vehicles in North America through its Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ awards that are selected by an independent jury of professional automotive journalists from across the continent.

Technologies eligible for the award must appear in a production vehicle offered for sale in North America during the eligibility year. Submissions may be made by automakers, suppliers or NACTOY jurors. Technologies will be evaluated based on criteria including innovation, user experience, reliability, accessibility to consumers, integration, value, privacy and long-term benefit to vehicle owners.

The NACTOY Technology Award Committee will review eligible technologies and present them to jurors during the organization's annual Fall Drive. The same independent jury that selects the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year™ awards will then vote to determine the finalists and the winner, with NACTOY announcing all four awards in January.

Additional details regarding submissions will be announced in the coming months.

About NACTOY
The North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards (NACTOY) honor the most outstanding new vehicles each year. Judged by an independent panel of automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada, NACTOY awards recognize excellence in innovation, design, safety, performance, and value.

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SOURCE North American Car & Truck of the Year