Ford fails to qualify, ending six-year winning streak. Chevrolet, GMC, Ram and Slate vie for Truck of the Year
Ford will not be able to defend its North American Truck of the Year title in 2027. The NACTOY jury has advanced the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Ram 1500 TRX SRT and the electric Slate Truck to the next round. No Ford made the list.
This brings an extraordinary run to an end. Ford has won the North American Truck of the Year title for six consecutive years, most recently in 2026 with the Maverick Lobo. The 2027 winner will therefore inevitably come from another manufacturer.
Three of the four pickup trucks come from Detroit's major manufacturers
NACTOY began this year with 56 new or substantially redesigned vehicles. The 46-member jury of automotive journalists advanced 25 models to the next round, with just four of them in the pickup truck category.
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 represent General Motors, Ram has entered the 1500 TRX SRT, while newcomer Slate Truck secured the fourth spot. The latter makes the selection particularly interesting, as it is a compact electric pickup rather than another full-size American giant.
Ford is absent from the list for the first time since the 2019 competition. After six consecutive wins, this can no longer be regarded as a chance gap year; rather, Ford has reached a point in its model cycle where the jury found rivals' newer vehicles to be stronger candidates.
Finalists will be announced in November
NACTOY will hold a joint Ride & Drive comparison test in Michigan from 20 to 22 October, where the jury will be able to try the vehicles side by side under the same conditions.
Three finalists will then be selected from each category. They will be announced on 19 November at the Los Angeles Auto Show, with the winners to be revealed on 14 January 2027 at the Detroit Auto Show.
In Europe, of course, NACTOY's pickup truck category is quite an exotic sight. The Silverado, Sierra and Ram 1500 are enormous for the roads and tax systems here, while Slate is initially focused on North America. Even so, the quartet illustrates the changing US market well: traditional large-displacement pickup trucks and a compact electric model from an entirely new manufacturer are competing for the same title.
