- The winners of the World Car of the Year awards have been announced at the New Your International Auto Show.
- The BMW iX3 not only took out the top award, it also won the World Electric Vehicle title.
- Other categories include World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Urban Car and World Car Design.
The BMW iX3 completed a double header in the World Car Awards this year, taking out both the 2026 World Electric Vehicle title and the overall crown of World Car of the Year at a ceremony held at the New York International Auto Show.
This is the second consecutive World Car of the Year nomination for BMW (last year the iX was in the running) and the brand's second World Car of the Year win overall (the 3-Series won the 2006 World Car of the Year title), and the latest win brings the total number of awards won by BMW to ten in World Car’s 22-year history.
“We are delighted by this outstanding result for the BMW iX3, the first production model of the Neue Klasse. The iX3 marks the beginning of a new era for BMW in terms of design language, range and charging performance, driver assistance systems, and the user experience with the first-ever BMW Panoramic iDrive,' said Mike Reichelt, Head of BMW Neue Klasse.
The BMW iX3 was chosen from an initial list of 58 contenders from all over the world, while a shortlist of three finalists was announced on March 3rd, 2026, consisting of the iX3, Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Leaf. The other finalists in the World Electric Vehicle category were that Mercedes-Benz CLA and the Nissan Leaf.
A jury of 98 international automotive journalists from 33 countries selected the winning cars by secret ballot based on their evaluation of each eligible vehicle, with votes tabulated by KPMG.
The iX3 is set to arrive on New Zealand shores in the middle of this year, initially in 50 xDrive guise, featuring a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive drivetrain producing 345kW of power and 645Nm of torque that will see the mid-size SUV accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds. It will be priced at $125,900, significantly undercutting direct competitors from Audi and Porsche.
Other World Car titles announced at the New York International Auto Show included categories for Luxury Car, Urban Car, Performance Car and Car Design, with winners and finalists listed below.
World Luxury Car of the Year: Lucid Gravity
The Gravity is a large all-electric SUV made by Lucid Motors in the USA. It features a choice of battery sizes ranging from 88kWh up to 118kWh and is available in single motor RWD, dual motor AWD or tri motor AWD forms with power output ranging between 360kW and 617kW depending on model
This is the second World Luxury Car win for Lucid Motors, with the Lucid Air being the 2023 World Luxury Car.
World Performance Car of the Year: Hyundai Ioniq 6 N
This is the second World Performance Car win for Hyundai, with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N being the 2024 World Performance Car. The 5 N and 6 N share their underpinnings, with the 6 N being powered by a dual motor AWD powertrain and an 84kWh battery to produce a total of 478kW/770Nm. It can accelerate to 100km/h from a standing start in 3.2 seconds.
This year's win win brings the total number of awards won by Hyundai to nine in World Car’s 22-year history.
World Urban Car of the Year: Firefly
The Firefly EV is the only vehicle produced by Chinese manufacturer Nio's high-end small EV sub-brand Firefly.
Launched in 2025 it features a 42kWh battery and a single 105kW rear mounted electric motor. With a 330km WLTP range, the Firefly was designed specifically for the European market but is also sold in the Chinese domestic market.
World Car Design of the Year: Mazda 6e/EZ-6
The Mazda 6e is sold in China as the EZ-6, and is produced by Changan Mazda, a joint venture between Mazda and Changan Automobile. A mid-size liftback sedan, the 6e is available in all-electric and plug-in hybrid range extender forms and shares its underpinnings with the Changan Nevo A07 and Deepal SL03.
This is the third World Car Design of the Year award for Mazda, and Mazda’s fifth World Car Award overall in World Car’s 22-year history.