The 2026 car of the year has been announced (Image: Getty)
An electric car has secured the official title of Car of the Year, bringing home the first victory for its manufacturer in the contest for over 50 years.
This year, the Mercedes-Benz CLA saloon took home the honours in the 63rd running of the competition that aims to officially identify the best cars on sale.
In a competitive field up against the likes of the Fiat Grande Panda, Kia EV4, Renault 4, Skoda Elroq, Citroen C5, and Dacia Bigster, the Mercedes came out on top with 320 points.
This marks the first time Mercedes has been given the title for 52 years, after it initially won with the 450 SE/SEL in 1974.
In a statement marking the car’s victory, the official Car of the Year judges said: “The Car Of The Year award celebrates its 63rd edition this year and has done so by returning a premium brand to the top.
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The Mercedes-Benz CLA won (Image: Getty)
“This year’s edition was more competitive than ever, given that all the finalist models had electrified features, and most of them were 100% electric.”
Second behind the Mercedes was the Skoda Elroq on 220 points, and coming in third was the Kia EV4 with 208 points. The Mercedes takes over the title from the Renault 5 EV that won last year.
After the victory, Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG remarked: “The new CLA was named Car of the Year 2026 — a proud moment for Mercedes Benz.
“Jurors from across Europe have confirmed what our customers have been telling us: the CLA is a game-changer, delivering outstanding efficiency and effortless intelligence.”
As well as coming in an all electric form, the CLA can also be purchased as a hybrid or as an estate car, or shooting brake, as it is sometimes referred to.
It is one of many cars that can be purchased as either a hybrid or an all electric vehicle, as manufacturers continue to deal with the transition away from fossil fuels and the difficulties therein.
Recent data has suggested that despite the government’s best intentions, there has been a brief slowdown in electric car uptake with recent figures from the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) showing a drop in share compared with last year.
In a statement, they said: “Uptake of battery electric vehicles rose just 0.1% to 29,654 units – delivering a 20.6% market share, the lowest since April 2025.
“The decrease follows a strong 2025 January performance when uptake was pulled forward as buyers sought to avoid April’s introduction of new tax rates on BEVs….The largest growth was again recorded in plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), rising 47.3% to account for 12.9% of registrations.”