The Car of the Year 2026, here are the semi-finalists for the Car of the Year award
An initial selection of models was announced by the award jury ahead of the final round of seven finalists at the end of October, with a view to announcing the winner on 9 January 2026.
A total of 60 jurors from 24 countries have been awarding each year's most representative model since 1964. In the last few days, they have drawn up an initial selection of 35 models, which will then be reduced to seven finalists. The next appointment is this, with the announcement of the seven finalists scheduled for 31 October. They will be the cars that will compete in the final vote, followed on the same day by the announcement of the winner of the Car of the Year 2026, which will then be awarded on the eve of the opening of the Brussels Motor Show.
The list of 35 nominees for Car of the Year 2026
In ordine rigorosamente alfabetico le 35 auto sono Alpine A390, Audi A6, Audi A6 e-tron, Audi Q3, Audi Q5, Byd Atto 2, Byd Dolphin Surf, Byd Seal 6 DM-i, Byd Sealion 7, Citroën C3 Aircross, Citroën C5 Aircross, Dacia Bigster, DS N°8, Fiat Grande Panda, Firefly, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Jeep Compass, Kia EV4, Leapmotor B10, Leapmotor C10, Mazda 6e, Mercedes-Benz CLA, MG HS, MG MGS5, Mini Aceman, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Leaf, Opel Frontera, Renault 4, Škoda Elroq, Smart #5, Suzuki eVitara & Toyota Urban Cruiser, Toyota C-HR+, Volvo ES90 e Zeekr 7X.
Division of the car on the basis of groups and nationalities
There are an increasing number of Chinese brands on the 2026 longlist: Byd, Firefly, Leapmotor, MG, Smart and Zeekr. The Stellantis group is not far behind, responding with six cars, two Citroens, one DS, one Fiat, one Jeep and one Opel. Audi, on the other hand, is the brand with the most models, four in all. The Japanese brands have six cars in the race, while the French Renault group is represented by two models, one for Dacia and the other for Renault. There are two Korean brands, Hyundai and Kia. The VW group has four Audis and a Skoda, while Mercedes has the CLA and Mini the Aceman.
Electric cars are all the rage even if the market is languishing
There is a boom in the number of electric candidates on the 2026 longlist, with a total of 22, including 100% battery-powered models or variants of models with other engines in the range. Of the 35 cars in the race, this is not bad. It is clear to everyone that the electric revolution remains the future of the car, even if the timing needs to be made more sustainable. Of particular note are the two electric cars that are the result of collaboration between Toyota and Suzuki and as such compete on an equal footing. Finally, among the curiosities is the Mazda 6e, a model created by the Japanese manufacturer in close collaboration with its Chinese partner Changan.
