The winners of the 2026 World Car 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, 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 regular work throughout the year. The votes were compiled by the firm KPMG.
Following two years of triumph for Kia with the EV9 (2024) and EV3 (2025), the BMW iX3 took the ultimate honor in 2026, winning World Car of the Year, beating out the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan LEAF. It also claimed the title of World Electric Vehicle of the Year, once again besting the LEAF and Mercedes-Benz CLA.
This all-new electric SUV, expected to arrive in Australia in summer 2026, marks the revolutionary “Neue Klasse” line from BMW. Comparable in size to the X3 petrol model, 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 Australia. The interior is highly technological.
Another electric SUV, the Lucid Gravity, won the World Luxury Car of the Year award. Powerful and refined, it impresses with its capabilities, road manners, and efficient technologies. Spacious and well-appointed, it offers a range of 542 km with an 89 kWh battery. The Grand Touring version goes even further with 724 km on a 123 kWh battery. The other finalists in this category were the Cadillac Vistiq and Volvo ES90.
For World Performance Car of the Year, another all-electric model took home the trophy, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. It was chosen over the BMW M2 CS (petrol) and Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray (hybrid).
Just like the Ioniq 5 N crossover, the sedan is built on the E-GMP platform and delivers 601 horsepower in normal configuration, and up to 641 horsepower with the “N Grin Boost” function. With only 375 km of range, it’s not a top priority.
Finally, the Chinese car Firefly from the new Nio brand was named World Urban Car of the Year, beating the Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EUV and Hyundai Venue.
In the World Car Design of the Year category, another model sold in China and Europe won the award: the Mazda EZ-6/6e. This stunning Japanese sedan embodies a new evolution of Mazda’s Kodo style in the electric era, surpassing the Kia PV5 and Volvo ES90.
