2026 World Car Of The Year Finalists Revealed Ahead Of New York Auto Show
The finalists for the 2026 World Car of the Year award have been announced, with three models remaining in the race for the prestigious global title. The shortlist includes the BMW iX3, Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Leaf.
The winner will be revealed on April 1 during the New York International Auto Show, where the results of all World Car Awards categories will be announced. The finalists were selected by a jury of 98 automotive journalists from 33 countries through a secret ballot process.
Top 3 Finalists For 2026 World Car Of The Year
The three vehicles competing for the overall award represent different segments of the market. The BMW iX3 and Nissan Leaf highlight the growing importance of electric vehicles, while the Hyundai Palisade represents the continued popularity of large family SUVs.
These three models were chosen from an earlier shortlist of 10 vehicles announced earlier this year.
Other World Car Awards Finalists
Alongside the main award, several other categories will also be decided at the New York International Auto Show.
For the World Electric Vehicle category, the finalists are:
The World Luxury Car finalists are:
In the World Performance Car category:
The World Urban Car three finalists for this award are:
Finally, the top three finalists for World Car Design of the Year are:
The winners across all categories will be officially announced at the New York International Auto Show in April.
