2026 World Car Awards: Top 3 Finalists Announced Across Categories

The shortlist for the 2026 edition of the World Car Awards has been revealed, with the top three finalists announced across six categories. The winners will be revealed on April 1 at the New York International Auto Show. Notably, the World Car of the Year category features two electric vehicles among the three finalists – the BMW iX3 and Nissan Leaf – alongside the internal combustion-powered Hyundai Palisade.

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The finalists were selected by a jury comprising automotive journalists from 33 countries, with three cars shortlisted in each of the six award categories.

World Car of the Year

• BMW iX3
• Hyundai Palisade
• Nissan Leaf

World Electric Vehicle

• BMW iX3
• Mercedes-Benz CLA
• Nissan Leaf

World Luxury Car

• 
  Cadillac Vistiq
• Lucid Gravity
• Volvo ES90

World Performance Car

• 
  BMW M2 CS
• Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
• Hyundai Ioniq 6 N

World Urban Car

• 
  Baojun Yep Plus / Chevrolet Spark EUV
• Firefly
• Hyundai Venue

World Car Design of the Year

• Kia PV5
• Mazda 6e / EZ-6
• Volvo ES90

For the World Car Design of the Year category, a panel of seven global design experts first reviewed all eligible vehicles and created a shortlist before the final voting stage. The panel included Anja Bracht, Marek Djordjevic, Fabio Filippini, Antony Grade, Gert Hildebrand, Victor Nacif and Shiro Nakamura.

Following the design panel’s review, the final shortlist across categories was voted on by a jury of 98 automotive journalists from around the world. The winners in each category will be announced on April 1, 2026, during the New York International Auto Show.