OtherOctober 31, 2026

2027 Car of the Year: All seven finalists are electric vehicles. No Chinese brands included

Marcin Tymków

For the first time in the history of the Car of the Year award, which has been presented since 1964, all seven cars in the final are fully electric vehicles. A jury of 65 journalists from 25 countries selected the BMW iX3, Cupra Raval, Hyundai Ioniq 3, Kia EV2, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen ID. Polo, and Volvo EX60. There is no model from a Chinese brand in the final, although Kia had 11 of them on the longlist. The winner will be announced on January 8, 2027, at the Brussels Motor Show.

Seven electric cars, not a single hybrid

Electric vehicles have won the COTY before. The first was the Nissan Leaf in 2011, Jaguar I-Pace took home the title in 2019, and the Mercedes CLA won in 2026, although it is also sold as a hybrid. Electric powertrains have never dominated the final list. This time, no soft hybrid, full hybrid, or plug-in model made it into the top seven, even though in Europe electric vehicles make up roughly one in three cars sold today.

Others that were eliminated include the Renault Clio, Mercedes GLC, Polestar 5, Honda Prelude, Toyota RAV4, and Audi A2 e-tron. What’s most surprising is the absence of the Skoda Epiq, a technical cousin of the ID. Polo, as well as the new Volkswagen T-Roc, since its predecessor often led European sales rankings.

Kii listed 39 models on the long list (some foreign reports cite 38): 18 from European brands, five each from Japan and Korea, and 11 from China. In November, judges, including two from Poland, will evaluate the finalists at the Stellantisa track in Balocco near Milan.

Chinese brands were eliminated in the first round

The models that were rejected included the BYD Dolphin G, the sports car Denza Z9 GT, the Leapmotory B05 and B03X from Stellantisa’s Leapmotor division, as well as three MG models: IM5, MG4 Urban, and MGS6. None of them advanced, although Chinese brands account for roughly one in ten cars sold in Europe.

The only Chinese presence in the finals is the Volvo EX60, as the brand belongs to Geely, though this SUV is produced at the factory in Swedish Torslanda.

Sam Geely will not introduce its first model developed specifically for Europe until 2027, as it currently sells mainly cars made for the Chinese market here.

Kia EV2 in the brand’s ninth final

Kia used this nomination to issue a comprehensive statement. The EV2 is the brand’s ninth model to reach the COTY final, marking the sixth consecutive year Kia has been in the top seven — a feat, according to the manufacturer, never achieved by any Asian automaker before. The series began with the EV6, the winner in 2022, followed by the Niro (2023), EV9 (2024), EV3 (2025, second place), and EV4 (2026).

The EV2 is the smallest electric SUV in the brand’s lineup (segment B), produced alongside the EV4 in Žilina, Slovakia, exclusively for the European market. Options include batteries of 42.2 kWh and 61.0 kWh, offering ranges of 317 km and 453 km respectively according to WLTP standards. The vehicle has received five stars from Euro NCAP, and in Poland it is available in either five-seater or four-seater versions. The manufacturer also highlights its results from Norway’s NAF El Prix test. In summer, the EV2 Standard Range covered 325 km there (over 5% more than WLTP estimates), while the prototype Long Range GT-Line covered 428 km, compared to the claimed 418 km. In winter, at temperatures as low as -21°C, the same prototype managed 310.6 km. However, with the Long Range version, it should be noted that the testing was conducted on a prototype.

Historically, the COTY jury has favored more affordable cars over expensive ones, though exceptions have occurred, such as the Porsche 928 in 1978. Renault won with electric vehicles in 2024 and 2025, and this year it is entering the smallest car in the competition. Prices in PLN are not known for all finalists, so we will find out whether the jury will choose cheaper models again in Brussels.

LovEV Newsletter

Want more content like this?