Car of the Year 2027 Finalists: Seven EVs and No Chinese Brands
The shortlist for the European Car of the Year 2027 is made up entirely of electric cars, and none of the Chinese-brand candidates made it through. The jury named the seven finalists on 30 October, Carscoops reported the same day.
Key takeaways
- All seven finalists are fully electric.
- 65 jurors from 25 European countries cut a long list of 38 contenders to seven.
- Eight Chinese cars were on the long list; none reached the final.
- The winner will be announced on 8 January 2027 at the Brussels Motor Show.
The seven finalists
- BMW iX3, the first model of the Neue Klasse generation
- Cupra Raval
- Hyundai Ioniq 3
- Kia EV2
- Renault Twingo
- Volkswagen ID. Polo
- Volvo EX60
The list leans heavily towards small and affordable cars: the Raval, Ioniq 3, EV2, Twingo and ID. Polo all target buyers who want an electric car of city or supermini size. The iX3 and EX60 represent the premium SUV class.
Who missed out
Several well-known new models did not make the cut, including the Renault Clio, Mercedes GLC, Polestar 5, Honda Prelude, Toyota RAV4 and Audi A2 e-tron. Carscoops also notes the absence of the Volkswagen T-Roc and Skoda Epiq.
The Chinese contenders included the BYD Dolphin G, Denza Z9GT, the Leapmotor B05 and B03X, and three MG models: the IM5, MG4 Urban and MGS6. Italy's Il Sole 24 Ore had pointed to a surge in Chinese models among this year's candidates. The nearest link to China in the final is the Volvo EX60, as Volvo is owned by Geely, although the car is built in Sweden.
How the winner is chosen
The finalists will be tested at the Stellantis Balocco proving ground near Milan in November. The jurors then vote, and the result is revealed in Brussels. The award has run since 1964, when the Rover 2000 won. Recent winners include the Renault Scenic in 2024, the Renault 4 in 2025 and the Mercedes CLA in 2026.
What it means for you
An all-electric shortlist reflects where the European market is going: electric cars now make up about one in three sales in Europe, according to Carscoops. For buyers, the more useful point is that five of the seven finalists are compact, lower-priced EVs, so there will be more choice in the small electric car class over the next year. Wait for full prices and range figures before ordering, and compare running costs rather than only the list price.
Read more in our electric cars section or browse the car catalogue.
Sources
- Carscoops: Europe's COTY Shortlist Is An EV Clean Sweep, But China Can Only Watch (30 Oct 2026) (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- Il Sole 24 Ore: Car of the Year 2027: the seven finalists will be announced on 30 October (27 Oct 2026) (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
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