Car of the Year Awards 2026: Overall winner
In the past 12 months, we’ve seen the Kia PV5 and Smart #5 raise the bar in their respective classes, along with new versions of the Toyota Aygo X and Volkswagen T-Roc. However, our overall Car of the Year Award is reserved for the model that’s moved things on farthest of all. And this year that’s the new BMW iX3.
The premium electric SUV market in which it competes is one of the most hotly contested. Yet – in so many respects – the BMW iX3 leapfrogs its rivals with a stepchange in capability.
Most obviously, it’s the first electric production car that can officially cover 500 miles in one hit, making range anxiety a thing of the past. Meanwhile, usability is further enhanced by its ability to charge at lightning-fast speeds.
The iX3 ‘thinks’ fast, too, thanks to a new computer system that packs 20 times the processing power of its predecessor. As a result, its infotainment system is more responsive, the electronic driver aids help rather than hinder you, and both stability and agility are improved.
Indeed, the new iX3 is one of the most enjoyable SUVs of any kind to drive. Yet it’s also very comfortable.
It even makes financial sense, despite a fairly high list price; company car drivers will love the low benefit-in-kind tax bills that it attracts, while all owners who are able to charge at home will enjoy low running costs.
In short, our winner is a car that will make you smile for any number of reasons and, more importantly, it’ll keep you smiling in the way that only great cars do. That’s exactly what the iX3 is: a truly great car.
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