World Car of the Year 2026: semifinalists, top 10 revealed
World Car of the Year 2026 semifinalists: top 10 and category shortlists
World Car of the Year 2026: semifinalists, top 10 revealed
See the full World Car of the Year 2026 semifinalists: top 10 contenders plus EV, luxury, performance, urban and design shortlists, key dates, and what's next.
2026-01-08T05:46:30+03:00
2026-01-08T05:46:30+03:00
2026-01-08T05:46:30+03:00
World Car of the Year has named its 2026 semifinalists: from 58 entries, the jury narrowed the field to a top 10 for the main award and to top 5 shortlists in five categories — electric vehicles, luxury, performance, urban car and design. Next, the contenders will undergo individual tests; on March 3, 2026, the organization will announce the top-three finalists, and on April 1 in New York it will reveal the winners across all six categories, as Tarantas News reported on January 7.Contenders for the overall title include the Audi Q5/SQ5, BMW iX3, BYD Seal 6 DM‑i, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Hyundai Palisade, Kia EV4, Kia EV5, Mercedes‑Benz CLA, Nissan Leaf and Toyota RAV4. The luxury five are the Audi A6 e‑tron/S6 e‑tron and Audi A6/S6, the Cadillac Vistiq, the Lucid Gravity and the Volvo ES90; in the electric category, the Audi A6 e‑tron/S6 e‑tron, BMW iX3, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Mercedes‑Benz CLA and Nissan Leaf meet again.In performance, the list features the BMW M2 CS, Chevrolet Corvette E‑Ray, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, Land Rover Defender OCTA and Mercedes‑AMG GT 63 Pro; among urban cars, the Alfa Romeo Junior, Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EUV, Firefly, Hyundai Venue and Wuling Binguo/Ari Poly; for design, the Firefly, Kia PV5, Lynk & Co 08, Mazda 6e/EZ‑6 and Volvo ES90.This shortlist reads like an honest snapshot of the market — more representative than Russian awards where model choices tend to be tightly limited. Here, electric cars, hybrids and familiar bestsellers stand shoulder to shoulder, which suggests there’s no single formula for victory anymore.
World Car of the Year 2026, semifinalists, top 10, EV shortlist, luxury, performance, urban car, design, Audi Q5, BMW iX3, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Nissan Leaf, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Toyota RAV4
2026
Michael Powers
news
World Car of the Year 2026 semifinalists: top 10 and category shortlists
See the full World Car of the Year 2026 semifinalists: top 10 contenders plus EV, luxury, performance, urban and design shortlists, key dates, and what's next.
Michael Powers, Editor
World Car of the Year has named its 2026 semifinalists: from 58 entries, the jury narrowed the field to a top 10 for the main award and to top 5 shortlists in five categories — electric vehicles, luxury, performance, urban car and design. Next, the contenders will undergo individual tests; on March 3, 2026, the organization will announce the top-three finalists, and on April 1 in New York it will reveal the winners across all six categories, as Tarantas News reported on January 7.
Contenders for the overall title include the Audi Q5/SQ5, BMW iX3, BYD Seal 6 DM‑i, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Hyundai Palisade, Kia EV4, Kia EV5, Mercedes‑Benz CLA, Nissan Leaf and Toyota RAV4. The luxury five are the Audi A6 e‑tron/S6 e‑tron and Audi A6/S6, the Cadillac Vistiq, the Lucid Gravity and the Volvo ES90; in the electric category, the Audi A6 e‑tron/S6 e‑tron, BMW iX3, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Mercedes‑Benz CLA and Nissan Leaf meet again.
In performance, the list features the BMW M2 CS, Chevrolet Corvette E‑Ray, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, Land Rover Defender OCTA and Mercedes‑AMG GT 63 Pro; among urban cars, the Alfa Romeo Junior, Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EUV, Firefly, Hyundai Venue and Wuling Binguo/Ari Poly; for design, the Firefly, Kia PV5, Lynk & Co 08, Mazda 6e/EZ‑6 and Volvo ES90.
This shortlist reads like an honest snapshot of the market — more representative than Russian awards where model choices tend to be tightly limited. Here, electric cars, hybrids and familiar bestsellers stand shoulder to shoulder, which suggests there’s no single formula for victory anymore.
