Today, January 9, at the Brussels Motor Show, the Car of the Year 2026 title was awarded. The big winner is the Mercedes CLA, which scored 320 points.
The Car of the Year 2026 competition brought together 35 eligible models at the start, of which seven qualified for the grand final: Citroën C5 Aircross, Dacia Bigster, Fiat Grande Panda, Kia EV4, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Renault 4, and Škoda Elroq.
The victory clearly went to the Mercedes CLA, which obtained 320 points. Mercedes had not won this title for 52 years, since 1974, when the Mercedes 450 SE prevailed.
Here is the final classification:
1. Mercedes CLA 320 points
2. Skoda Elroq 220 points
3. Kia EV4 208 points
4. Citroen C5 Aircross 207 points
5. Fiat Grande Panda 200 points
6. Dacia Bigster 170 points
7. Renault 4 150 points
In September 2025, the 35 eligible cars went through their first major test at Tannistest in Denmark. Subsequently, the seven finalists—Citroën C5 Aircross, Dacia Bigster, Fiat Grande Panda, Kia EV4, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Renault 4, and Škoda Elroq—were intensively tested by the members of the jury and finally subjected to a joint test in Spain, on the Parc Motor Castellolí test track.
For the first time, the final joint test took place in Spain, to guarantee favorable weather conditions and to take advantage of the incomparable setting of the roads around the circuit, in the Montserrat area near Barcelona.
The Car of the Year title is awarded by a jury made up of 60 journalists from 23 European countries. For the final vote, each juror awards 25 points, with a maximum of 10 points per car, and must vote for at least five of the seven finalist cars.
The Car of the Year competition is the most prestigious and respected automotive competition in Europe, having been established in 1964. The first winner was the Rover 2000 in 1964. Renault Clio (1991, 2006), Volkswagen Golf (1992, 2013), Opel/Vauxhall Astra (1985, 2016), Toyota Yaris (2000, 2021), and Renault Scénic (1997, 2024) are the only automobiles that have won this prestigious title more than once.
