Industry
2026 MAMA Fall Favorites: Kia Telluride HEV, Subaru Trailseeker, Dodge Charger Win Journalists’ Awards
By CARC Editorial Team · October 19, 2026 · 3 min read
The Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) announced the winners of its annual Fall Favorites Fest, where automotive journalists test-drive the newest vehicles and vote for seasonal standouts. This year’s drivable lineup spanned Ford, Lincoln, Kia, RAM, Dodge, Subaru, Genesis, and Hyundai.
The six winners: Favorite Family Vehicle — 2027 Kia Telluride HEV; Favorite Plug-In Vehicle — 2026 Subaru Trailseeker; Favorite Affordable Vehicle — 2026 Subaru WRX; Favorite Performance Vehicle — 2026 Dodge Charger (RT and Scat Pack Plus); Favorite Pick-Up Truck — 2026 RAM 1500 TRX SRT; Favorite Luxury Vehicle — 2026 Lincoln Navigator.
Two wins are worth noting for what they say about the market. The Telluride — America’s favorite three-row SUV — winning Family as a hybrid (HEV) confirms that electrified family haulers are now the default pick, not the compromise. And the Charger taking Performance in its new electric/hybrid era shows muscle-car fans are warming to what comes after the V8.
Also from the week’s auto news: Slate Auto opened its first-ever Experience Center on October 15 in Chicago — in a former Tesla showroom — for hands-on time with its $26,400 modular electric truck, with events coming to Boston, NorCal, and New York.
Sources: The Auto Channel, MAMA