The 2026 World Car of the Year awards were announced today at a special ceremony at the New York International Auto Show.
Six categories are part of the most prestigious automotive awards program on the planet, which is 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.
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After two years of triumph for Kia with the EV9 (2024) and EV3 (2025), it is the BMW iX3 which wins the ultimate honor in 2026, that of World Car of the Year, ahead of the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan LEAF. In fact, it scored a double by also being named World Electric Vehicle of the Year, once again to the detriment of the LEAF as well as the Mercedes-Benz CLA.
Photo: Dominic Boucher
This all-new electric SUV, expected here in the summer of 2026, inaugurates BMW’s revolutionary “Neue Klasse” lineage. Comparable in size to the gasoline-powered The maximum charging capacity of 400 kW is unprecedented for a vehicle sold in Canada. The interior is intended to be highly technological. Read our driving impressions here.
Another electric SUV, the Lucid Gravity, won the World Luxury Car of the Year award. Powerful and refined, it surprises with its capabilities (notably rapid charging), its road behavior and its efficient technologies. Spacious and well appointed, it also offers a range of 542 km thanks to its 89 kWh battery. The Grand Touring version does even better with 724 km thanks to a 123 kWh battery. The other finalists in this category were the Cadillac Vistiq and Volvo ES90.
Photo: Dominic Boucher
As for World Performance Car of the Year, it was once again an entirely battery-powered model that took home the trophy, in this case the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. The jury preferred it to the BMW M2 CS (petrol) and Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray (hybrid).
Just like the Ioniq 5 N crossover, the sedan is mounted on the E-GMP platform and delivers 601 horsepower under the right pedal in normal configuration, and up to 641 horsepower at the press of a button on the steering wheel thanks to the “N Grin Boost” function. With only 375 km, autonomy is however not one of its priorities. Read our driving impressions here.
Photo: Dominic Boucher
Finally, the Chinese car Firefly from the new eponymous brand launched by Nio was crowned World Urban Car of the Year, beating the Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EUV and Hyundai Venue (new generation which will probably not come to Canada).
As for World Design of the Year, another model sold in China but also in Europe won the prize: the Mazda EZ-6/6e. This sublime Japanese sedan, which embodies a new evolution of Mazda’s Kodo style in the electric age, has topped the Kia PV5 and Volvo ES90.
