Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrapup January 11-17, 2026
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* NACTOY winners. Kicking off the Detroit Auto Show’s media day, NACTOY officers revealed the results of an intensive, year-long jury process designed to identify the best-in-class vehicles for the upcoming model year. The 2026 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) winners are: North American Car of the Year: Dodge Charger, North American Truck of the Year: Ford Maverick Lobo, North American Utility Vehicle of the Year: Hyundai Palisade. More HERE
* Detroit Auto Show. The 2026 Detroit Auto Show is currently underway at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit, running through January 25, 2026. The show has returned to its traditional mid-January timeframe for a second consecutive year, featuring over 40 brands and interactive test tracks. Corporate-supported displays include Ford, General Motors (Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC), Stellantis (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler), Toyota, Subaru, and Kia. Notable vehicles include 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX (777-hp) and 2027 Ram 2500 Power Wagon, 2027 Honda Prelude hybrid and Cadillac's Formula 1 car and the official Detroit Grand Prix race car. Automakers increasingly opt to reveal new models on their own outside of an auto show. The two reveals at the Detroit show were an off-road trim of the Ford Bronco SUV and the U.S. Army prototype of its Michigan-built next-generation M1E3 Abrams tank.
* Why Combustion Engines Are Dissapearing Faster Than Expected. Electric vehicle adoption is nearing a tipping point in major markets like the EU and China and possibly the US, driven by falling battery costs and technological advancements, per research published in Nature Communications. China leads as the largest EV market due to a mature supply chain, accessible models and dense charging infrastructure, with Norway setting the global benchmark, with EVs accounting for over 90% of new vehicle sales. The EU has varied adoption across member states, while there is steady, but slower growth in the US. More on this HERE
* Carmakers pushed to bring back buttons. Automakers are reintroducing physical buttons for essential controls such as turn signals, hazard lights and headlights in response to new crash test standards from the European New Car Assessment Programme and the Australasian New Car Assessment Program. The standards aim to reduce driver distraction caused by touchscreens, marking a shift away from cost-saving touchscreen interfaces, with brands like Porsche incorporating more real buttons into their latest models. Read more on this HERE
* GM slapped with five-year FTC penalty. The FTC said in a news release that GM "collected, used, and sold consumers’ precise geolocation data and driving behavior data from millions of vehicles without adequately notifying consumers and obtaining their affirmative consent." GM agreed to the settlement with the Federal Trade Commission last January over allegations that it extracted data from millions of its customer’s vehicles without them knowing. HERE
* Brand loyalty. S&P Global Mobility announced the winners of its 30th annual Automotive Loyalty Awards, with General Motors and Tesla again earning the two highest awards for customer retention. The winners were celebrated during a ceremony at the Detroit Auto Show on January 14, 2026. General Motors received the ‘Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer’ award for the 11th year in a row. Tesla was the recipient of the ‘Overall Loyalty to Make’ award for the fourth consecutive year. The 2025 awards are based on an analysis of 13.6 million new retail vehicle registrations in the U.S. from October 2024 through September 2025. Read the report HERE
* Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, the most advanced Corvette ever, is the quickest American production car available – and the fastest way to get down a quarter-mile drag strip for under a million dollars. Testing on the ZR1X culminated in October 2025 with validation at US 131 Motorsports Park – reflective of the real-world environments where Corvette customers exercise their vehicles. On a prepped surface, the ZR1X completed the quarter mile in 8.675 seconds at 159 mph, on pump gas, using standard-equipment tires and production 50-state street-legal engine calibration, and achieving a 0-60 mph time of 1.68 seconds on the same run. The ZR1X blasted to 60 mph in less than 100 feet, generating a peak of 1.75G of acceleration force. Watch the ZR1X HERE
* WWCOTY winners. Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) has announced the category winners of its 2026 edition following a rigorous evaluation process carried out by its international jury, made up of 84 women motoring journalists from 54 countries. All the winning vehicles represent excellence in their respective segments for safety, driving performance, technology, comfort, overall performance and value for money. A total of 55 candidates competed in this 15th edition of the WWCOTY awards. All eligible vehicles had to be new models launched in at least two continents or 40 countries between January and December 2025. See the winners HERE
* ADAS pause. Mercedes-Benz is pausing the rollout of its Drive Pilot system, the first and so far only Level 3-certified assisted driving system that enables true eyes-off and hands-off driving in the United States. Mercedes-Benz was the first automaker to offer an eyes-off, hands-off Level 3 automated driving system in the United States. Drive Pilot debuted in late 2023 on the EQS and S-Class sedans. It could take control of the car’s controls, but its speed was limited, and it could only work if certain requirements were met. Details HERE
* Curious headlines.
-- "Stellantis cancels entire plug-in hybrid lineup that made it segment leader"
-- "GM still studying plug-in hybrids, CEO Mary Barra says"
* Chevrolet recall. General Motors is recalling certain 2025-2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV vehicles. The pedestrian alert sound system may not produce a sufficient change in volume between the vehicle being stopped and moving at low speeds. The recall affects 81,177 vehicles
* It's time for Motorsports The Roar Before the Rolex 24 is the official three-day testing and practice event that precedes the Rolex 24 At Daytona. It serves as a final "dress rehearsal" for teams across the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), LMP2, GTD PRO, and GTD classes to fine-tune their cars before the season-opening 24-hour endurance race. The weekend consists of seven practice sessions. A field of 60 cars is expected for 2026, featuring world-class drivers from Formula 1, IndyCar, and NASCAR. The 2026 event is scheduled to take place this weekend from Friday, January 16, through Sunday, January 18 at Daytona International Speedway.
* NASCAR 2026 "Chase." NASCAR is returning to "The Chase" format for the 2026 season, which will feature a 10-race postseason where the champion is determined by the most cumulative points, rather than a single winner-take-all final race. The new system, which closely resembles the original 2004-2013 format, eliminates the elimination rounds and automatic berths for regular-season wins that were part of the previous "playoff" structure.
* NASCAR fans, get ready. Tony Stewart, three-time Cup Series champion and motorsports icon, is officially returning to the NASCAR stage at Daytona in 2026. Stewart will team up with Ram Truck and Kaulig Racing as the first competitor in Ram’s groundbreaking Free Agent program within the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Stewart, known to fans as “Smoke,” last competed in the NASCAR Truck Series in 2005 and in the Cup Series in 2016 before shifting his focus to NHRA drag racing with Dodge. His return marks a monumental moment for the sport, blending Stewart’s legendary competitive spirit with Ram’s bold re-entry into NASCAR. The Free Agent program is designed to bring legendary drivers and rising stars into the spotlight, giving fans a unique mix of experience and fresh talent behind the wheel of Ram trucks. Ram will field five trucks in the 2026 season with Kaulig Racing, signaling a major investment in NASCAR. Stewart’s involvement and the Free Agent Program underscore Ram’s innovative approach on and off the track.
* F1 news in Detroit. At the Detroit Auto Show Cadillac officially revealed its 2026 pre-season testing livery. The car features a temporary black and silver design. Ford hosted its 125th Anniversary Racing Season Launch at Michigan Central Station. The event served as the global debut for the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls 2026 liveries. The show marks the official introduction of the new Red Bull Ford Powertrains unit, signifying Ford's return to F1 after a 22-year hiatus.
Stay safe. Be Well.
Kind regards,
Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy
The Auto Channel