The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026 in New York. The acclaimed iX3 is the latest winner of the biggest automotive award in the world.
The BMW iX3 beat two other finalists: the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Leaf.
It succeeds 2025’s World Car of the Year, the Kia EV3.
The WCOTY jury comprises 98 international journalists from 33 countries, including Motoring Research’s Richard Aucock representing the UK.
The competition began in earnest last November, at the annual Los Angeles test drives event. This 11th edition of the awards saw 35 jurors from 15 countries testing cars – again, including Motoring Research’s Richard Aucock.
The first round of voting was completed in December, with the top 10 and top five cars announced in early January 2026. The 2026 World Car Person was announced in February, ahead of a second round of voting by the jurors – with the 2026 Top 3 in the World revealed in early March.
All votes were validated by KPMG, World Car Awards tabulation partner for more than two decades.
World Car Awards 2026
In the World Car Design category, 90 vehicles were eligible. A panel of seven design experts reviewed them all and established a shortlist, which the jurors then voted on.
The Mazda 6e emerged as the winner, pipping the Kia PV5 and Volvo ES90. It is the third time Mazda has won the World Car Design title.
When every penny counts, urban cars are essential transport – and the world’s best deliver so much more. The top three contenders were the Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EV, Firefly (Chinese marque NIO’s third brand) and the Hyundai Venue. And the winner for 2026 is the Firefly.
Global electric car sales grew by 20 percent in 2025 alone, and one in four new cars sold is now an EV. World Electric Car aims to find the best of them, and the top three for 2026 are the BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz CLA and Nissan Leaf.
The BMW iX3 – which Motoring Research has already awarded five stars in our recent review, beat its fellow finalists to be named World Electric Vehicle 2026. This made it a World Car Awards 2026 double-victor.
Performance cars are every motoring enthusiast’s dream. This year’s top three were more diverse than ever, with the BMW M2 CS, Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray and Hyundai Ioniq 6 N heading into the final.
And the 2026 World Performance Car winner? The outstanding Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. It follows the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which was named 2025 World Performance Car.
The 2026 World Luxury Car category saw the Cadillac Vistiq, Lucid Gravity and Volvo ES90 named the top three finalists. It was the Lucid Gravity that emerged as the 2026 victor.
2026 World Car Person, BMW’s Oliver Zipse, was also honoured during the ceremony at the New York International Auto Show.
World Car Awards winners 2026: full list
- World Car Design 2026: Mazda 6e
- World Urban Car 2026: Firefly
- World Electric Car 2026: BMW iX3
- World Performance Car 2026: Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
- World Luxury Car 2026: Lucid Gravity
- World Car of the Year 2026: BMW iX3
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