Finalists for Women’s Worldwide COTY 2026 announced
Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year has announced the 2026 six finalists, plus two special awards, with categories from compact car to performance
The Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) is made up of 84 women motoring journalists from 54 countries, including AutoMuse’s Liz Dobson
All the winning vehicles represent excellence in their respective segments for safety, driving performance, technology, comfort, overall performance and value for money.
A total of 55 candidates competed in this 15th edition of the WWCOTY awards. All eligible vehicles had to be new models launched in at least two continents or 40 countries between January and December 2025.
Despite months marked by global trade tensions, the automotive sector has continued to move clearly towards electrification, while welcoming an increasing number of brands and models.
This growing diversity has required an even greater effort from the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year jury to assess an expanding range of vehicles and technologies.
After driving thousands of kilometers and carrying out in-depth evaluations of each candidate, the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year has selected the following vehicles as the best in the world in their respective categories:
Compact car - Nissan Leaf
Compact SUV - Skoda Elroq
Large car - Mercedes-Benz CLA
Large SUV - Hyundai Ioniq 9
4 x 4 - Toyota 4Runner
Performance car - Lamborghini Temerario
The special award winners where Renault for best tech, and the Sandy Myhre Award to Ford. This award recognises a brand’s commitment to women. Ford has a sustained focus on gender equality within its corporate structure.
“In our voting, we have focused on vehicles that stand out not only for their figures or technology, but for how effectively they respond to people’s real, everyday needs,” said Marta García, Executive President of WWCOTY.
“Electrification, digitalisation and sustainability are no longer trends, but essential requirements.”
Commenting on the selection process, García added: “Each candidate was analyzed from multiple perspectives, with particular attention paid to safety, functionality, comfort and overall value.
“The result is a list of winners that truly represents the best of the automotive industry in 2026.”
The six category winners announced today will now advance to the final round, where the overall Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year title will be decided.
The ultimate Car of the Year winner will be announced on the WWCOTY YouTube channel during the week in which International Women’s Day, March 8, is celebrated.
With these awards, WWCOTY reaffirms its mission to provide an independent, expert assessment of the automotive sector, offering clear guidance to car buyers around the world.
The voting criteria for WWCOTY are based on the same principles that guide any driver when choosing a car. The jurors do not select a “woman’s car” because cars are not gender specific. Aspects such as safety, quality, price, design, ease of driving, benefits and environmental footprint, among others, are considered when casting the votes.
