U.S. Brands Excluded as One Nation Leads World Car of the Year Finalists | Carscoops

U.S. Brands Excluded as One Nation Leads World Car of the Year Finalists | Carscoops

      This year's World Car finalists feature no American vehicles, while one automaker has a significant presence ahead of the winner announcement set for April.

      Hyundai Motor Group boasts four finalists in the key award categories.

      The only American performance entry is the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.

      The winners will be revealed on April 1 during the New York Auto Show.

      The shortlist for the 2026 World Car of the Year has been released, with Hyundai Motor Group, which includes Kia, emerging as a strong contender. With four nominations, the company has a 40 percent chance of winning the top award.

      In addition to the main title, finalists have also been announced for categories such as World Electric Vehicle, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Urban Car, and World Car Design of the Year.

      The much-anticipated World Car of the Year will be awarded live on April 1 at the New York Auto Show, with a jury of 98 automotive journalists from 33 nations casting their votes.

      Finalists include the Audi Q5 and SQ5, BMW iX3, BYD Seal 6 DM-i, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Hyundai Palisade, Kia EV4, Kia EV5, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Nissan Leaf, and Toyota RAV4. It is noteworthy that Hyundai Motor Group is the only manufacturer with multiple entries, which is promising after the Kia EV3 won the award last year.

      Additionally, it's important to note that there are no finalists from American brands.

      In the World Electric Vehicle category, the nominees are the Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron, BMW iX3, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Mercedes-Benz CLA, and Nissan Leaf, with several of these models also competing in other categories.

      For instance, the Audi A6 e-tron / S6 e-tron is also contending for the World Luxury Car award, alongside the combustion-engine Audi A6/S6, Cadillac Vistiq, Lucid Gravity, and Volvo ES90.

      In the performance category, the competition narrows further, with the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray competing against the BMW M2 CS, Land Rover Defender OCTA, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro.

      The World Urban Car category features a strong showing from Chinese automakers, with finalists including the Baojun Yep Plus / Chevrolet Spark EUV, Nio's Firefly, and the Wuling Binguo / Ari Poly, along with the Hyundai Venue and Alfa Romeo Junior.

      Lastly, for the 2026 World Car Design of the Year, the finalists include the Firefly, Kia PV5, Lynk & Co 08, Mazda 6e/ EZ-6, and Volvo ES90.

U.S. Brands Excluded as One Nation Leads World Car of the Year Finalists | Carscoops U.S. Brands Excluded as One Nation Leads World Car of the Year Finalists | Carscoops

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U.S. Brands Excluded as One Nation Leads World Car of the Year Finalists | Carscoops

This year's World Car finalists do not include any American cars, while one group led the list prior to the winner's announcement in April.