The winners of the 2026 World Car Awards were announced today during a special ceremony at the New York International Auto Show.
Six categories are part of the most prestigious global automotive awards program, now in its 23rd year. The 98 international automotive journalists from 33 countries who make up the jury evaluated each eligible vehicle as part of their usual work throughout the year. The votes were compiled by the firm KPMG.
After two years of triumph for Kia with the EV9 (2024) and EV3 (2025), the BMW iX3 took home the ultimate honor in 2026, winning World Car of the Year, surpassing the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan LEAF. It also won the World Electric Vehicle award, beating out the LEAF and Mercedes-Benz CLA.
This brand new electric SUV, expected in the summer of 2026, inaugurates BMW’s revolutionary “Neue Klasse” line. With comparable size to the X3, the iX3 competes with the Tesla Model Y. In the 50 xDrive version, the two electric motors deliver a combined power of 463 horsepower, and the 108.7 kWh battery provides an estimated range of over 650 km. The maximum charging capacity of 400 kW is unprecedented for a vehicle sold in Canada. The interior is highly technological.
Another electric SUV, the Lucid Gravity, earned the title of World Luxury Car of the Year. Powerful and refined, it impresses with its capabilities, driving behavior, and efficient technologies. Spacious and well-equipped, it offers a range of 542 km with its 89 kWh battery. The Grand Touring version goes even further with 724 km from a 123 kWh battery. The other finalists in this category were the Cadillac Vistiq and Volvo ES90.
Turning to the World Performance Car of the Year, another full battery model took the trophy, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, over the BMW M2 CS and Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.
The Chinese car Firefly from the new brand Nio was crowned World Urban Car of the Year, beating the Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EUV and Hyundai Venue.
For the World Design award, another model sold in China and Europe, the Mazda EZ-6/6e, won. This beautiful Japanese sedan, embodying a new evolution of Mazda’s Kodo style in the age of electric, surpassed the Kia PV5 and Volvo ES90.
