Mercedes-Benz Cla car of the year 2026. Only fifth the Grande Panda
The award originated in 1964. The seven finalists competing for the title: Citroën C5 Aircross, Bigster, Grande Panda, EV4, Mercedes CLA, R4 and Elroq
The Mercedes CLA has won the title of Car of the Year 2026. The proclamation came on the opening day of the Brussels Motor Show, which will be open to the public until 18 January. The Mercedes CLA secured the accolade with a total of 320 votes, ahead of the Skoda Elroq (220 votes) in second place and the Kia EV4 (208 votes) in third place, completing the podium.
This is followed by Citroën C5 Aircross (207), Fiat Grande Panda (200) only fifth, Dacia Bigster (170), Renault 4 (150).
A jury of 60 journalists from 24 countries, including Mario Cianflone for Il Sole 24 Ore, decided on the winning car. It succeeds the Renault 5 E-Tech/Alpine 290 that took the title in 2025.
Car manufacturers with the most titles
The prize, which has been awarded since as far back as 1964, has in fact seen almost all car manufacturers win, starting with Fiat the most popular with nine victories, closely followed by Renault with eight and Peugeot with six.
Next come Ford and Opel with 5 wins, Volkswagen with 4 wins, Citroen and Toyota with 3 wins. Added to a group that includes Alfa Romeo, Audi, Nissan, Rover and Simca with 2 wins and with only one title under their belt are Austin, Chevrolet, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lancia, Mercedes, NSU, Porsche and Volvo.
