The Car of the Year organisers announced an entirely battery-electric shortlist for the 2027 European award on October 30, 2026. It is the first time all seven finalists have been fully electric.
The selected models will compete to succeed the Mercedes-Benz CLA, which won the 2026 title. The winner is scheduled to be announced at the Brussels Motor Show on January 8, 2027, after further testing and a final round of voting.
The seven electric finalists
The shortlist, published in alphabetical order, comprises:
- BMW iX3
- Cupra Raval
- Hyundai Ioniq 3
- Kia EV2
- Renault Twingo
- Volkswagen ID.Polo
- Volvo EX60
The seven were selected from a final longlist of 38 candidates. In the first round, jurors each nominate their seven preferred candidates without assigning points. The most frequently nominated cars advance to the shortlist.
The broader field included the BYD Dolphin G, Changan Deepal S05, Denza Z9GT, Leapmotor B05 and Xpeng P7+, none of which reached the final seven.
The award considers cars irrespective of their country of origin. Eligible vehicles must be essentially new models, rather than existing cars with cosmetic changes or a different engine or transmission. They must also be production cars available in at least five European countries at the time of voting.
The Twingo also brings a development programme spanning Europe and China into the 2027 final. Renault says teams in France, China and Slovenia worked on the car. Renault Group CEO François Provost has said the company brought the Twingo to market in 21 months.
How the winner will be chosen
The organiser lists 65 motoring journalists representing 25 European countries on the 2027 jury. The award is run by a non-profit institution independent of the motor industry, and jurors receive no payment for serving on the panel.
The competition selects one overall winner, with no separate categories or class awards. Its stated purpose is to recognise the most outstanding new car to go on sale in the 12 months preceding the date of the title.
Judging covers design, comfort, safety, economy, handling, performance, functionality, environmental requirements, driver satisfaction and price. Technical innovation and value for money are particularly important factors, so the assessment extends beyond the type of powertrain fitted.
Jurors are scheduled to test the finalists at the Balocco circuit in Italy on November 25 and 26. In the final ballot, each juror distributes 25 points across at least five cars, with a maximum of 10 points for a first choice. The two highest-ranked cars on an individual ballot cannot receive equal points, and jurors must explain their decisions.
Electric cars’ record in the award
The award dates to 1964. The Nissan Leaf became its first fully electric winner with the 2011 title. In 2022, battery-electric models occupied the top three places: the Kia EV6 finished ahead of the Renault Mégane E-Tech and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
More recent electric winners include the Renault Scenic E-Tech in 2024 and the Renault 5 E-Tech and Alpine A290, which shared the 2025 title. Those results preceded the Mercedes-Benz CLA’s 2026 victory.
