EVs, hybrids and diesel all come up winners in the Detroit Free Press vehicles of the year competition

Don’t write off internal combustion engines yet, and never underestimate the appeal of a good hybrid drivetrain.

The 2024 Free Press Car, Truck and Utility vehicles of the year demonstrate that despite the auto industry’s inevitable and accelerating shift to electric power, there’s still plenty to appreciate about internal combustion engines — often shorthanded as “ICE” by engineers.

The winners:

• Car: 2023 Honda Accord midsize sedan
• Truck: 2023 Ford F-series Super Duty medium-duty pickups
• Utility: 2024 Kia EV9 three-row electric SUV

Diversity of technology

The winners represent the three leading drivetrain technologies — respectively: ICE, hybrid and battery-electric.

Each is in its own way a paragon of efficiency engineering, design, technology and safety. They demonstrate the diversity of technologies and vehicles that buyers demand, and the extraordinary variety available to shoppers.

Despite rising prices, the winners, and the runners-up in each category, run the gamut from affordable to extravagant, with sticker prices from $22,140 to more than $100,000. All prices exclude destination charges.

The Accord, F-series Super Duty, and EV9 also got my votes for North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year, respectively. The winners of those awards, selected by a jury of 50 automotive journalists including myself, will be announced Jan. 4.

Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.