From the 35 new cars on the list of candidates, the 59 members of the Car of the Year jury (from 23 countries) cast their votes in the first round to select the finalists. The winner of the 2026 Car of the Year award will be announced on January 9 at the Brussels Motor Show. Here are the seven finalists:

Citroën C5 Aircross

Dacia Bigster

Fiat Grande Panda

Kia Ev4

Mercedes-Benz Cla

Renault 4

Škoda Elroq