2026 World Car Awards: BMW iX3 Wins World Car of the Year

The BMW iX3 has won the 2026 World Car of the Year (WCOTY) title, beating the Hyundai Palisade and the Nissan Leaf. The winners were announced at the New York International Auto Show. Along with this, the BMW iX3 also picked up the World Electric Vehicle of the Year award. The SUV comes with a distinct design and offers a claimed range of up to 805km with the 108.7kWh battery version.

Also Read: 2026 World Car Awards: BMW iX3 Named World Electric Vehicle

Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse, said: '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.

'Above all, the iX3 stands for the next generation of sheer driving pleasure, powered by the Heart of Joy. With 40 new or updated models coming in the next year, the innovations of the Neue Klasse will benefit our entire product portfolio.'

2026 World Electric Vehicle Award: Who Chooses the Winners?

The World Car Awards winners were decided by a jury of 98 automotive journalists from around the world. For the 2026 edition, the process involved months of real-world testing, with proper hands-on evaluations, test drives, and back-to-back comparisons to finalise the best cars in each category. The panel also included Dhruv Behl, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of autoX.

2026 World Electric Vehicle Award: Eligibility Criteria

The World Car Awards defines clear rules for the World Car of the Year category. Eligible vehicles must have a minimum production of 10,000 units per year and should be priced below the luxury-car segment in their primary markets. They must also be on sale in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) across two continents between January 1, 2025 and March 30, 2026.

Entries from categories like World Performance Car, World Urban Car, World Electric Vehicle, and World Car Design of the Year can also be considered for the overall World Car of the Year title, depending on their type and pricing.