The World Car of the Year (WCOTY) organizers have unveiled the 2026 semifinalists. From an initial 58 contenders, the jury trimmed the field to a top ten in the main category and top fives across five additional awards: World Electric Vehicle, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Urban Car, and World Car Design of the Year.

The organizers noted that the cars will now be evaluated individually. They plan to announce the top three finalists on March 3, 2026, and reveal the winners in all six categories in New York on April 1.

According to Tarantas News, the main race for World Car of the Year 2026 features the Audi Q5/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’s a telling mix: fresh EVs stand shoulder to shoulder with proven best-sellers and hybrids—very much a snapshot of today’s market, where no single powertrain sets the tone on its own. That blend should make the voting especially interesting.

Volvo ES90 / World Car of the Year / auto news
A. Krivonosov

In the luxury bracket, the semifinalists are the Audi A6 e-tron/S6 e-tron, Audi A6/S6, Cadillac Vistiq, Lucid Gravity, and Volvo ES90. The electric-vehicle category will see the Audi A6 e-tron/S6 e-tron, BMW iX3, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Mercedes-Benz CLA, and Nissan Leaf go head-to-head.

The performance five includes the BMW M2 CS, Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, Hyundai Ioniq 6 N, Land Rover Defender OCTA, and Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro. Among city-focused models are the Alfa Romeo Junior, Baojun Yep Plus/Chevrolet Spark EUV, Firefly, Hyundai Venue, and Wuling Binguo/Ari Poly. And for World Car Design of the Year, the shortlist features the Firefly, Kia PV5, Lynk & Co 08, Mazda 6e/EZ-6, and Volvo ES90. From compact runabouts to heavy hitters, the range is broad—judging this lot is unlikely to be straightforward.