- EVs are poised to dominate the World Car Awards.
- More than ten EVs are competing for top honors.
- Contenders include the iX3, Leaf, Gravity, and Vistiq.
The finalists for the 2026 World Car Awards have been revealed and EVs dominate the list. However, it remains unclear if they’ll walk away with top honors during the awards ceremony at the New York Auto Show on April 1.
While giving awards on April Fool’s Days seems like a cruel joke, the finalists for World Car of the Year are the BMW iX3, Hyundai Palisade, and Nissan Leaf. That’s an interesting assortment of vehicles, but the Leaf is an affordable EV that starts at $29,990 and offers up to 303 miles (488 km) of range.
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The iX3, on the other hand, has a 108.7 kWh battery pack that feeds a dual-motor all-wheel drive system developing 463 hp (345 kW / 469 PS) and 476 lb-ft (645 Nm) of torque. This enables the crossover to accelerate from 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 4.7 seconds, hit a top speed of 130 mph (210 km/h), and have a WLTP range of up to 500 miles (805 km).
That brings us to the Palisade, which begins at $39,435. It offers conventional and hybrid engines, with the latter developing 329 hp (245 kW / 334 PS) and returning 34 mpg combined.
The battle for World Electric Vehicle is largely déjà vu as the iX3 and Leaf will battle the Mercedes CLA. The sedan has an 85 kWh battery pack as well as powertrains with 268 hp (200 kW / 272 PS) and 349 hp (260 kW / 354 PS).
The electric vehicle parade continues with World Luxury Car, where the Cadillac Vistiq will battle the Lucid Gravity and Volvo ES90. We drove the Caddy last year and came away impressed with its comfortable ride and upscale interior.
Even World Performance Car includes an EV in the form of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. It will battle the BMW M2 CS and Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. Interestingly, the latter model can be transformed into a front-wheel drive EV thanks to Stealth Mode.
World Urban Car has a lot of forbidden fruit including the Baojun Yep Plus / Chevrolet Spark EUV, Nio Firefly, and Hyundai Venue. While the latter model continues to be offered in America, the awards are focused on the redesigned crossover that was introduced last fall.
Last but not least is World Car Design of the Year. Contenders include the Kia PV5, Mazda 6e / EZ-6, and Volvo ES90.