Ford F-150 Named 2021 North American Truck of the Year

By Michael Palmer - January 11, 2021

In addition to all the F-150 praise, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E has also won several 2021 vehicle awards.

After racking up a number of awards from Edmunds, The Car Connection, Detroit Free Press, and Kelly Blue Book, the all-new F-150 and Mustang Mach-E added two more wins to Ford’s growing collection. North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) has named the F-150 Truck of the Year, while dubbing the Mustang Mach-E Utility Vehicle of the Year.

“This recognition for Mustang Mach-E and F-150 is validation not only for our brand, but also for our Ford team, which continues to innovate and deliver on its commitment to creating must-have products and services,” said Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Americas and IMG. “The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards are among the most prestigious in the industry and such an honor serves as a capstone achievement for years of hard work for the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 teams.”

According to the organization’s website, NATCOY Awards seek to “honor excellence in innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction and value.” The 50-member jury panel is made up of US and Canadian auto journalists. Past winners include the 2020 C8 Corvette and Lincoln Navigator, and 2019 RAM 1500.

The Ford F-150 last won North American Truck of the Year back in 2015. And the last time a single manufacture won more than one award was in 2014, when the Chevrolet Silverado and Corvette Stingray took home Truck and Car of the Year, respectively.

Ford F-150

F150Online is currently working on its first review of the 2021 Ford F-150 — a Coyote-powered King Ranch 4×4 SuperCrew — and we’re not surprised by all of the praise. The exterior redesign is modest; it’s slightly more sleek and modern. But the bigger upgrade is the interior. More connectivity, a larger screen, higher quality materials (outside of the fake “brushed aluminum”), and more ergonomic features like the console workspace and fold-flat seating. To be honest, it’s a lovely balance of visual design and smart engineering. And you can even order an onboard generator to power work sites. All of these upgrades don’t come cheap, mind you, but the F-150 has never been better. Review coming soon!

Here are the awards the F-150 has won so far:

North American Truck of the Year – NATCOY
Detroit Free Press Truck of the Year – Detroit Free Press
Green Truck of the Year – Green Car Journal
Best Buy Award – Kelley Blue Book
Edmunds Top Rated Truck – Edmunds.com

Ford Mustang Mach-E

As for the Mach-E, we’ve only spent about four hours with one, but our early impressions are also positive. Step outside the branding controversy and what you find is a roomy, sporty crossover SUV with a premium interior. It’s also one of the best-handling EVs currently on the market. (I suppose it finally took legacy manufacturer to make an EV not drive like a computer.) So, if an EV of this size fits your lifestyle and needs, the Mach-E is definitely worth considering.

Here are the awards the Mach-E has won so far: