The shortlist of the European Car of the Year 2026 competition has been determined. Initially, there were 35 candidates, and 59 jury members from 23 countries selected seven finalists. At this stage, the new Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq 9, Jeep Compass, and BYD Dolphin Surf (also known as the Seagull) were eliminated. So, who made it to the next round?
Here are the seven candidates:
Citroen C5 Aircross;
Dacia Bigster;
Fiat Grande Panda;
Kia EV4;
Mercedes-Benz CLA;
Renault 4;
Skoda Elroq.
As we can see, among the finalists there are both pure electric cars and ICE-models (including hybrids), there are conditionally available Dacia Bigster and Fiat Grande Panda, and the latter also tries to play on nostalgia for the classic "Panda" - although the Renault 4 went even further in this regard.