BMW iX3 crowned World Car of the Year 2026 as EVs lead the way
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
- Industry News
- 2 April 2026
On Friday, 9 March, the top three finalists in each category of the 2023 World Car Awards were announced, and Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 featured in three categories.
The Ioniq 6 is nominated in the 2023 World Car of the Year, 2023 World Electric Vehicle and 2023 World Car Design of the Year categories respectively.
The Ioniq 6 is based on the same Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) as the 2022 World Car of the Year, the Ioniq 5.
During the past few months, the Ioniq 6 has also won numerous prestigious awards. It has been named Saloon of the Year at the 2023 GQ Car Awards and New Car of the Year, in a competition hosted by Le Guide de l’auto, and it achieved a five-star safety rating and Best in Class selection in the Large Family Car category in the European New Car Assessment Programme (EuroNCAP).
The World Car Awards is an annual event that involves 100 international jurors from 32 countries as they test-drive and vote on a field of eligible vehicles.
The winners will be announced live at an awards ceremony during the 2023 New York International Auto Show on 5 April 2023. This is the 18th year of the World Car Awards’ partnership with the New York International Auto Show.
The finalists in the respective categories are:
World Car of the Year
World Electric Vehicle
World Luxury Car
World Performance Car
World Urban Car
World Car Design
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
Retail new vehicle sales continue to surge in South Africa despite global and regional conflicts, local floods and droughts.
South Africa’s new vehicle market delivered a standout performance in March 2026, extending its domestic growth trajectory to the strongest level seen in nearly two decades.