The World Car of the Year finalists for 2026 have been announced.
The jury selected the ten best finalists at the World Car Finals and shortened the list from a total of 58 eligible models.
The jury consists of 98 automotive journalists from 33 countries – including Daily Sparkz Co-founder and presenter Daily Sparkz – with vehicles selected in a secret vote.
Models from Audi, BMW, BYD, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota were available to choose from.
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2026 WCOTY Finalists |
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Audi Q5/SQ5 |
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BMW iX3 |
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BYD Seal 6 DM-i |
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Hyundai Ioniq 9 |
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Hyundai Palisade |
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Let’s EV4 |
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Kia EV5 |
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Mercedes Benz CLA |
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Nissan Leaf |
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Toyota RAV4 |
“This year there are a number of exciting cars with a healthy mix of technologies,” said Daily Sparkz at the announcement.
“From an Australian market perspective, there is certainly a huge increase in competitors from China who are now posing a real challenge to established heritage brands.
“We have also seen an increase in the supply of all-electric models, and while sales of (electric cars) in Australia are beginning to decline, the global mix of available models continues to grow,” he said.
Finalists were also announced for the World Electric Vehicle, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car and World Urban Car categories.
Models from all five categories are all eligible for the World Car Design of the Year 2026 award, which will be judged by a jury of seven experts from the United States, Japan and Europe.
All WCOTY winners will be announced on April 1 at the 2026 New York International Auto Show, marking the 21st anniversary of the partnership with the event.
MORE: Daily Sparkz Choice Awards 2025




