Honda Civic Hybrid, Ford Ranger, VW ID Buzz win honors



Winners of  2025 North American Car,
Truck and Utility Vehicle of Year
awards

(January 11, 2025) The Ford Ranger was named the North American Truck of the Year, while the Volkswagen ID Buzz took Utility Vehicle of the Year honors and the Honda Civic Hybrid was recognized as Car of the Year for 2025. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards.


The Ranger’s win makes for the fifth-straight year that Ford has taken home the Truck of the Year award, with the F-Series Super Duty, Maverick, F-150 and F-150 Lightning all winning previously. This year, the Ranger beat the Ram 1500 and the Toyota Tacoma for the title.

The ID Buzz edged out the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the Hyundai Santa Fe for the Utility Vehicle of the Year award. This is the first time a Volkswagen vehicle has won in the category.


2025 Honda Civic Hybrid

The Civic Hybrid’s win marks the fifth time a Honda vehicle has won Car of the Year, with the Civic taking the title in 2022, 2016 and 2006, and the Accord in 2018. The Civic Hybrid beat the Kia K4 and the Toyota Camry in the category.

The winners, announced Friday, were selected by 50 automotive journalists from North American media organizations in a three-part voting process.

The Ford F-Series Super Duty took home the award for Truck of the Year in 2024, while the Kia EV9 won for utility vehicle and the Toyota Prius/Prius Prime Hatchback won the car award last year.


2025 Ford Ranger

"Earning this recognition celebrates our team’s dedication to continuously raising the bar for midsize truck customers," said Jim Baumbick, vice president, Advanced Product Development, Cycle Plan, and Programs at Ford. "We rigorously tested Ranger in challenging environments around the world to deliver the Built Ford Tough durability our customers demand. This award is a tribute to our customers who inspire us every day."

Josh Beckner, assistant manager of national sales for Honda, said that the Civic Hybrid is a crucial part of the automaker’s move towards electrification. “We’re thrilled at the response that we’ve received from the media, from our dealers and most importantly, our customers,” said Beckner.


2025 Volkswagen ID Buzz

"The ID. Buzz is a unique vehicle on the North American market, since it is the only electric people hauler on the market right now," said Kjell Gruner, president and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "We are pleased that the experts on the jury appreciated its combination of style, space, and refinement, all packaged in a vehicle that has zero tailpipe emissions. And it does this while bringing a smile to the face of anyone who sees one on the street."