Renault 4 E-Tech Electric named 2026 Parkers Car of the Year

Michael Powers, Editor

03:43 28-10-2025

Renault made history again, becoming the first carmaker to win Parkers New Car Awards’ Car of the Year two years in a row. This time the top honor went to the Renault 4 E-Tech Electric, a result that reinforces the brand’s footing in the new electric era.

The 4 E-Tech also secured the Best Family Compact title, while its stablemates — the Renault 5 E-Tech and Scenic E-Tech — were named Best First Car and Best Midsize Family Car, respectively. It reads as a clean hat trick for the French marque, which confidently set the pace across the headline categories of the 2026 awards.

Parkers editor Keith Adams said Renault got everything right this year. In his view, the 4 E-Tech distilled the best of the “five,” adding more space, maturity and style, and he argued it shows that electric cars can be desirable, attainable and practical.

The judges attributed the 4 E-Tech’s success to a straightforward recipe: transfer the winning ideas from the Scenic E-Tech into a smaller, more emotive package. The car keeps that signature ease of use, while the cabin stands out with thoughtful design and a friendly, unforced ambience — an approach that comes across clearly from behind the wheel.

Almost all of the 2026 winners are electric, underscoring that the EV moment has truly arrived. Even the new Disruptor Award went to the electric Mercedes-Benz CLA, recognized as the car with the longest driving range in the UK.