The Car of the Year 2027: The road to the final has begun

The 2027 edition of The Car of the Year, the 64th in its history, began its countdown on the last 9 January at the Brussels Auto Show with the election of the Mercedes-Benz CLA as the new King of Europe 2026. The German model beat its rivals in the final vote, winning the title of The Car of the Year with 320 votes.

Xavier Pérez (Prensa Ibérica / Spain)

The award for the best European car, which was first held in 1964 and saw the Rover 200 take the crown, is decided after 65 jurors from 25 countries analyse, test and evaluate each of the candidates throughout the year.

In 2027, a very comprehensive range of vehicles from all segments will compete in the grand final, although following the initial presentations, it is clear that the B-segment will take centre stage. Electric cars are playing an increasingly important role in the market and in this year’s edition they will once again make up the majority of the candidates, although plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrids also have their place in the race for victory.

We will also see an increase in cars from Chinese manufacturers, which are gradually gaining ground in the European market, with high-tech models and increasingly efficient engines.

Among the models already on the list of candidates are: BMW iX3, Kia EV5, Kia K4, Kia EV2, Mazda CX-5, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Mercedes-Benz GLC, MG S6, Porsche Cayenne, Renault Clio, Renault Twingo, Toyota RAV4, Zeekr 7 GT, Volkswagen T-Roc and Volvo EX60, by the moment.

All models submitted by 28 October this year are eligible to compete for the 2027 European crown. The 65 members of the jury will assess value for money, dynamic performance, technological innovation, design and market positioning. To be considered as 2027 candidates, models must meet the following requirements:

Have published prices and be available at dealerships in at least five European markets (two of which must be considered high-volume markets) by the end of 2026.
Have been tested by the jury to a sufficient extent to enable them to reach a verdict.
Be original, newly created models. Variants of the same model with different body styles or engines are not eligible.

New models will be added to the shortlist of candidates each month. Last year, the jury had to choose from 36 candidate cars. Once the list has been drawn up, the period for accepting new models will close on 28 October. The judges must select seven vehicles from this long list of candidates and will publish their names on 30 October. The seven cars with the most votes will form part of the shortlist of seven finalists.

Once the names of the seven finalists have been announced, the judges will carry out further in-depth tests on each of them, culminating in a grand final event to be held in the first week of December. Voting will close on 29 December 2026 and the winner will be announced on the first day of the Brussels Motor Show on 8 January 2027.