European Car of the Year 2027 Finalists Feature All-Electric Lineup

ANKARA, Nov 2 (OPA) — The seven vehicles competing for the title are the BMW iX3, Cupra Raval, Hyundai IONIQ 3, Kia EV2, Renault Twingo, Volkswagen ID. Polo, and Volvo EX60. This selection reflects a broader shift in the European automotive market, with five of the seven finalists categorized as compact, accessible electric models, while the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60 represent the premium SUV segment. The finalists were selected from an initial list of 38 candidates by a jury of automotive journalists.

Hyundai’s IONIQ 3, which is manufactured at the company’s facility in Izmit, Turkey, stands out as the only finalist with direct production ties to the country. Christopher McKinnon, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Europe, reported that order volumes for the IONIQ 3 have exceeded initial company projections. Other models, such as the Renault Twingo, aim for the entry-level market with a starting price of 19,490 euros in France, while the BMW iX3 utilizes the new Neue Klasse architecture to achieve a WLTP-rated range of up to 805 kilometers.

Jury members are scheduled to conduct final testing at the Balocco track in Italy on November 25 and 26, 2026. The scoring process requires each juror to distribute 25 points across at least five vehicles, with a maximum of 10 points allocated to any single model. Jurors must provide written justifications for their rankings, which will be made public alongside the final results. Ufuk Sandık represents Turkey on the judging panel.

As of November 2, 2026, the Hyundai IONIQ 3, Kia EV2, and BMW iX3 are already available for purchase in Turkey. The Volvo EX60 is expected to launch in the Turkish market later this month, while the Volkswagen ID. Polo is slated for an early 2027 release. The Renault Twingo and Cupra Raval have not yet received official domestic release dates or pricing. The 2026 title was awarded to the Mercedes-Benz CLA.