These are finalists of 2026 World Car of the Year
What's the story
The World Car Awards have revealed the top 10 finalists for the prestigious World Car of the Year (WCOTY) 2026 title. The jury, comprising 98 eminent international automotive journalists from 33 countries, including Hormazd Sorabjee and Renuka Kirpalani from Autocar India, selected these contenders through a secret ballot. SUVs and sedans dominate this year's list of finalists for the coveted WCOTY award.
List
Finalists for the 2026 WCOTY award
The finalists for the 2026 World Car of the Year award are Audi Q5/SQ5, BMW iX3, BYD Seal 6 DM-i, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Hyundai Palisade, Kia EV4 and Kia EV5. The list also includes Mercedes-Benz CLA, Nissan Leaf and Toyota RAV4. The top three cars from this stellar lineup will be revealed on March 3.
Urban
World Urban Car award finalists announced
Along with the main award, the World Car Awards have also revealed the finalists for five other categories. The top five contenders for the 2026 World Urban Car Award are Alfa Romeo Junior, Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EUV, Firefly, Hyundai Venue and Wuling Binguo/Ari Poly. These vehicles represent some of the best in urban mobility solutions globally.
Luxury
Finalists for the World Luxury Car award
The top five finalists for the 2026 World Luxury Car Award include Audi A6 e-tron, Audi A6, Cadillac Vistiq, Lucid Gravity and Volvo ES90. These cars epitomize luxury and innovation in automotive design. The top five finalists for the 2026 World Performance Car Award are BMW M2 CS, Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, Defender OCTA, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro.
EV contenders
Contenders for 2026 World Electric Vehicle award
Finally, the top five finalists for the 2026 World Electric Vehicle Award are Audi A6 e-tron/S6 e-tron, BMW iX3, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Mercedes-Benz CLA, and Nissan Leaf. These vehicles represent some of the best in electric mobility solutions globally. The winners of all categories will be announced at the New York International Auto Show on April 1.