The WORLD CAR FINALS POWERED BY BREMBO begins today with the announcement of the top ten and top five finalists in six World Car Awards vehicle categories. The countdown ends on Wednesday April 1st when the winners will be announced during the World Car Awards (WCOTY) ceremony, live at the 2026 New York International Auto Show with vote results tabulated by KPMG.
As the UAE motoring Jury, I am part of the 98 automotive journalists from 33 countries and we select the finalists by secret ballot based on our evaluation of each eligible vehicle.
“The World Car Awards are a benchmark for excellence and innovation in the automotive industry – values that define Brembo,” said Daniele Schillaci, Brembo’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to support this prestigious initiative and congratulate all the finalists on their outstanding achievements. Their commitment to advancing mobility mirrors our own drive to shape a zero-accident future, and we look forward to celebrating the winner.”
The 2026 World Car of the Year (WCOTY) winner will be selected from the following top ten finalists chosen from an initial list of 58 contenders:
- 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
The top five 2026 World Electric Vehicle finalists are:
- Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron
- BMW iX3
- Hyundai Ioniq 9
- Mercedes-Benz CLA
- Nissan Leaf
The top five 2026 World Luxury Car finalists are:
- Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron
- Audi A6/S6
- Cadillac Vistiq
- Lucid Gravity
- Volvo ES90
The top five 2026 World Performance Car finalists are:
- BMW M2 CS
- Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
- Defender OCTA
- Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
- Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro
The top five 2026 World Urban Car finalists are:
- Alfa Romeo Junior
- Baojun Yep Plus / Chevrolet Spark EUV
- Firefly
- Hyundai Venue
- Wuling Binguo / Ari Poly
Some of the cars shortlisted.
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 highly respected 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 Bracht: 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 2026 World Car Design of the Year finalists chosen by the design panel are:
- Firefly
- Kia PV5
- Lynk & Co 08
- Mazda 6e / EZ-6
- Volvo ES90
The Top Three in the World finalists will be announced virtually via World Car TV on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026.
Winners in all six categories will be announced on Wednesday, April 1st, 2026, during a live World Car Awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). This year marks the 21st year of the World Car Awards partnership with the show.
Mark Schienberg, president of NYIAS said, “The World Car Awards shine a spotlight on the innovation, performance, and design that are shaping the future of mobility. We are proud to partner with World Car Awards as the industry’s top vehicles are recognized on a global stage, culminating in New York this April.”
The Road to the World Car Awards is an annual journey that follows our international jurors as they test-drive, and vote on, the eligible vehicles for the awards’ season. The jurors’ road-test journey is captured virtually on World Car TV. The jurors provide viewers with reviews and commentary on the awards’ eligible vehicles in the six categories listed above.
The World Car Awards program would not be possible without the support of our official partners: AITASTIC Research & Consult, Brembo, New York International Auto Show, KPMG, and Newspress.
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