The World Car of the Year finalists were selected from an initial list of 58 contenders. These contenders must be produced in volumes of at least 10,000 units/year, must be priced below the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be “on-sale” in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period of January 1, 2025 and March 30, 2026.

In alphabetical order, the 2026 World Car of the Year finalists are:

• Audi Q5 / SQ5
• BMW iX3
• BYD Seal 6 DM-i
• Hyundai Ioniq 9
• Hyundai Palisade
• Kia EV4
• Kia EV5
• Mercedes-Benz CLA
• Nissan LEAF
• Toyota RAV4

For the World Urban Car of the Year, they must be produced in volumes of at least 5,000 units/year and must be “on-sale” in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2025 and March 30, 2026. Vehicles must be a maximum of 4.25 meters in overall length and be approved for operation on public roads.

The Top 5 in 2026 are:

• Alfa Romeo Junior
• Baojun Yep Plus / Chevrolet Spark EUV
• Firefly
• Hyundai Venue
• Wuling Bingo / Ari Poly

When it comes to the World Electric Vehicle of the Year, eligible vehicles must be powered solely by one or more electric motors, must be produced in volumes of at least 5,000 units/year and must be “on-sale” in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2025 and March 30, 2026.

This year, the Top 5 are:

• Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron
• BMW iX3
• Hyundai Ioniq 9
• Mercedes-Benz CLA
• Nissan LEAF

Meanwhile, vehicles eligible for World Luxury Car must be produced in volumes of at least 5,000 units/year, must be priced at the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be “on-sale” in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2025 and March 30, 2026.

The finalists are:

• Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron
• Audi A6 / S6
• Cadillac Vistiq
• Lucid Gravity
• Volvo ES90

Finally, for World Performance Car, they must be produced in volumes of at least 1,000 units/year, must be overtly performance-focused in overall character, and must be “on-sale" in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2025 and March 30, 2026. Substantially revised variations of existing models, specifically designed to enhance overall performance characteristics, may be eligible, at the discretion of the organizers.

The 2026 World Performance Car finalists are:

• BMW M2 CS
• Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
• Defender OCTA
• Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
• Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro

All vehicles competing in the five categories above are eligible for the 2026 World Car Design of the Year award.

A design panel, consisting of world design experts, was asked to review each candidate and establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors’ final vote. The design experts are (in alphabetical order): Anja Brach (Germany) – Pforzheim University; Marek Djordjevic: (USA) – Chair of Transportation Design, Art Center College of Design; Fabio Filippini (Japan) – ACCAEFFE Creative Consulting; Antony Grade (Retired) – Renault; Gert Hildebrand (Germany) – Owner, Hildebrand-Design; Victor Nacif (USA) – Chief Creative Officer, Brojure.com and Design instructor, New School of Architecture and Design; Shiro Nakamura (Japan) – CEO, Shiro Nakamura Design Associates Inc.

The five finalists for the 2026 World Car Design of the Year are:

• Firefly
• Kia PV5
• Lynk & Co 08
• Mazda 6e / EZ-6
• Volvo ES90

The Top 3 will be announced in March with the overall winner being crowned on April 1.