The 2026 North American Car of the Year (NACTOY) finalists have officially been revealed, and it’s one of the most diverse groups in recent memory. The new Honda Prelude, a sporty hybrid coupe, has been one of the hottest releases of 2025, and has now been named as a finalist.
The Honda will face off against the Nissan Sentra and Dodge Charger for one of the industry’s most significant accolades. Nissan’s Sentra has just entered a new generation with a bold redesign, while the Charger marks the first time the iconic muscle car has relinquished its beloved V8. But something tells us all eyes will be on the Honda, which marks a return to coupes in the Japanese brand’s lineup.
Related: Honda Prelude is Actually Quick—But Only If You Disable a Feature Designed to Make it Fast
Can Honda Win For a Second Consecutive Year?
For the 2025 Car of the Year edition, Honda walked away with the spoils when the Civic Hybrid prevailed over the Toyota Camry and Kia K4. That was a much more closely matched group, as all were relatively affordable sedans and two were hybrids. As expected, Honda is thrilled to have a second finalist in as many years.
“We are honored to have our all-new Honda Prelude as a finalist for the North American Car of the Year™ award – recognition that the return of the Honda Prelude as a hybrid-electric sports coupe demonstrates our continued commitment to deliver fun-to-drive, fuel-efficient and innovative products to our customers,” said Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of Honda Auto Sales. “As hybrid-electric sales continue to grow, the new Prelude hybrid sports coupe is a perfectly timed addition to the Honda lineup, with hybrid-electric models now representing about one-third of Honda sales thanks to the success of the Civic hybrid, Accord hybrid and CR-V hybrid.”
2026 Nissan Sentra
The new Prelude isn’t as hot of a performer as some would’ve liked, as its 200-horsepower hybrid engine is shared with that of the Civic Hybrid. The Prelude’s recently revealed price also places it surprisingly close to the hot Civic Type R, which some feel is too much money.
As for the other finalists, Nissan has impressively kept the new Sentra’s price low despite its dashing design and premium interior. The Dodge Charger, highlighted by the six-cylinder SixPack models, has successfully overcome the challenge of building a modern muscle car without a V8.
Truck and Utility Finalists Announced, Too
2025 Ford Maverick Lobo Cole Attisha
Elsewhere, the North American Truck of the Year and North American Utility Vehicle of the Year finalists were also announced.
This year’s truck finalists are the Ford Maverick Lobo, Ram 1500 Hemi, and Ram 2500. In the Utility Vehicle category, the Hyundai Palisade, Lucid Gravity, and Nissan Leaf will fight for top honors. Given the Maverick Lobo’s role in reviving the street pickup segment and the new Nissan Leaf’s total transformation over its stodgy predecessors, we wouldn’t be surprised to see these models win their categories. By bringing back the Hemi V8 to the 1500, Ram has also given its pickup a significant boost.
“Once again, these finalists show the wide range of choices that consumers have in the marketplace,” said Jeff Glibert, NACTOY president. “Our jury of distinguished auto reporters has come up with a great selection of fantastic vehicles that truly reflect the best of the best.”
The winners will be announced on January 14 at the Detroit Auto Show.
