- Hyundai Motor Group has four finalists in top award categories.
- Chevrolet’s Corvette E-Ray is America’s only performance finalist.
- Winners will be announced April 1 at the New York Auto Show.
The shortlist for the 2026 World Car of the Year is out, and Hyundai Motor Group that includes Kia is already looking like a front-runner. With four vehicles in the running, the company holds a 40 percent shot at taking home the main prize.
Alongside the headline award, the competition has also named finalists for World Electric Vehicle, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Urban Car, and World Car Design of the Year.
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The most coveted title, World Car of the Year, will be presented live on April 1st at the New York Auto Show. A jury of 98 automotive journalists from 33 countries cast their votes via ballot.
Among the finalists are the Audi Q5 and 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. Notably, Hyundai Motor Group is the only automaker with multiple entries on the list. It also bodes well given that the Kia EV3 took the top prize last year.
And in case it slipped by, not a single finalist comes from an American brand.
2026 World Car of the Year
The World Electric Vehicle category features a slightly tighter list: Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron, BMW iX3, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Mercedes-Benz CLA, and Nissan Leaf. Several of these models also appear in other categories.
For instance, the Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron is also in the running for World Luxury Car. There, it’s joined by the internal combustion Audi A6/S6, the Cadillac Vistiq, Lucid Gravity, and the Volvo ES90.
When it comes to performance, the shortlist tightens even more. There, the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is joined by the BMW M2 CS, Land Rover Defender OCTA, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro.
In the World Urban Car category, Chinese automakers dominate the field. Finalists include the Baojun Yep Plus / Chevrolet Spark EUV, the Firefly from Nio, and the Wuling Binguo / Ari Poly. Rounding out the list are the Hyundai Venue and the Alfa Romeo Junior.
Rounding out the awards will be the 2026 World Car Design of the Year. The Firefly, Kia PV5, Lynk & Co 08, Mazda 6e/ EZ-6, and Volvo ES90 have been named as the finalists.