As the new year begins, so does the Detroit Auto Show: a long-standing showcase for the biggest names in the automotive industry. The auto show also hands out awards each year, with one of the most prestigious honors being North American Car of the Year. In past events, cars such as the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray have won the award. The 2026 North American Car of the Year award goes to the legendary Canadian-made muscle car: the 2026 Dodge Charger.
The Charger, a vehicle built at Stellantis Canada’s Windsor Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario, received the title on January 14, the first day of the Detroit Auto Show. It faced and overcame some stiff competition to win the award, beating out the Honda Prelude and Nissan Sentra, which are built in Japan and Mexico respectively.
The winner of the Car of the Year honor isn’t just a whim, either: a panel of 50 automotive journalists from across the U.S. and Canada gather each year to determine which vehicle is most deserving of the award. This is a huge win for the 2026 Dodge Charger and for everyone at the Windsor plant who work so hard to get these cars on the road. The model is in good company, too, as evidenced by other grand prize winners at the show.
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Charger isn’t the only winner at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show
AA Green 2026 Hyundai Palisade parked in front of the building. – modern
Winning the 2026 North American Car of the Year title for the Dodge Charger is a landmark moment. CBC News reports that Dodge CEO Matt McAlear took the opportunity to thank employees at the Windsor, Ont., plant for their hard work, while Unifor 444 union leader James Stewart spoke about the global manufacturing operations behind it all. “This is an amazing testament to the workers at the Windsor Assembly Plant and to Stellantis,” Stewart said of the award. He added, “You know, this is a Canadian-assembled car, but the parts for that car are made all over North America, and the trade agreement is what allows that to happen.”
The Charger wasn’t the only winner at the Detroit Auto Show. Two other major awards were also presented: North American Truck of the Year and North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The awards were given to the 2026 Ford Maverick Lobo made in Mexico and the Hyundai Palisade made in South Korea. This is the sixth consecutive year that Ford Trucks has won the award, and while this is the first time the Palisade has won in this category, the vehicle has achieved record sales this year. Hyundai Motor’s Palisades retail sales will increase by 17% in 2025, and total U.S. sales will increase by 13%
Even though the Dodge Charger has such a long and storied history, the muscle car clearly remains the center of attention. Time will tell what other awards, honors and accolades the Charger, Maverick Lobo and Palisade will receive in future models.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.