The current New York International Auto Show has once again hosted the annual ‘World Car’ awards with BMW topping the results.

Its iX3 was named ‘2026 World Car of the Year’, and is the second consecutive ‘World Car of the Year’ nomination for BMW and second win overall.

The model was included in the top three in last year’s program, while the company’s 3-Series won the title in 2006. The model was also named the ‘2026 World Electric Vehicle’.

In total, BMW has won eleven category and outright titles in the event’s 22-year history. The iX3 is a significant milestone for BMW as it is the first model in its ‘Neue Klasse’ evolution as it moves to a more technically advanced electrification programme.

Speaking at the event, Mike Reichelt, Head of Neue Klasse confirmed that the company would be offering 40 new or updated models in the next year.

Vehicles eligible for ‘World Car of the Year’ must be produced in volumes of at least 10,000 units/year, must be priced below the luxury-car level in their primary markets, and must be ‘on-sale’ in at least two major markets (China, Europe, India, Japan, Korea, Latin America, USA) on at least two separate continents within the period January 1, 2025 and March 30, 2026.

The awards are voted on by an international jury of 98 automotive journalists from 33 countries.

The BMW iX3 was chosen from an initial list of 58 contenders from all over the world. The top three models in the final shortlist were the BMW iX3, Hyundai Palisade, and Nissan Leaf.

The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace. The awards are intended to complement, not compete with, existing national and regional ‘Car of the Year’ programmes.

The 320 hp, rear wheel drive model has a given range of 395 miles with first UK deliveries due mid-summer. Prices start at £53,250 OTR.

Hyundai took the performance car title with its IONIQ 6 N, the ultimate version of the standard IONIQ 6. This is the fifth consecutive year that Hyundai has featured in the awards and the second time in three years that it has won the performance class.

It previously won the top performance title in 2024 with the IONIQ 5 N. This year’s 650 PS winner has a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds and a top speed of 160mph. Its range is just over 300 miles and is priced at £65,800.

Previous category winners were INSTER– World Electric Vehicle 2025, IONIQ 6 – ‘World Car of the Year’, World Electric Vehicle, World Car Design of the Year 2023, and IONIQ 5 – World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle, World Car Design of the Year 2022.

Mazda made it a third overall success in the Design category with its first all-electric model, the Mazda 6e. Already on sale on Continental Europe, it will arrive here early summer.

There is a choice of two power units, one of which has a 68.8kWh battery providing a range of just under 300 miles. The Long Range version has the larger 80kWh battery which increases range to 326 miles.

The Mazda MX 5 won in 2016 and the Mazda3 topped this category in 2020.