Episode Details

In January, the 2026 World Car of the Year awards finalists were announced, and now those finalists have been whittled down to the top three in each category, including overall World Car of the Year. For 2026, BMW and Hyundai are the top performers, with multiple mentions, but the finalists also include offerings from Mercedes-Benz, Lucid Motors, Volvo, Chevrolet, Kia, and Mazda. Two Chinese vehicles also make the final round, though neither is offered in the United States. Without any further ado, let's see which three cars top each category, closing with the overall finalists.

2026 World Electric Vehicle Top 3

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• BMW iX3
• Mercedes-Benz CLA
• Nissan Leaf

German automakers BMW and Mercedes have been showcasing remarkable efficiency advances with their iX3 crossover and CLA sedan, respectively, while Nissan gets a shout for offering electric motoring in an affordable package. Top 10 finalists that failed to make the cut include the AudiA6 e-tron/S6 e-tron and the Hyundai IONIQ 9.

2026 World Luxury Car Top 3

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• Cadillac Vistiq
• Volvo ES90

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