BMW’s iX3 won top honors at the 2026 World Car of the Year awards ceremony held today during the New York International Auto Show. The BMW iX3 is the first production model from the German automaker to reflect the company’s “Neue Klasse” (new class) design language, with the company’s upcoming i3 (all-electric 3 Series) donning the design next. The iX3 won both overall World Car of the Year and World Electric Car of the Year categories with its combination of engaging driving dynamics, advanced technology, and an EPA-rated range of up to 400 miles.
The BMW iX3 can regain up to 230 miles of range in 10 minutes of charge time
BMW AG
The BMW iX3 features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive electric powertrain offering up to 463 horsepower, a zero-to0-60 time around 4.2 seconds, and an 800-volt charging system that can charge at up to 400 kilowatts. With a capable Level 3 charger, the iX3 can regain up to 230 miles of range after 10 minutes of charging time. The cabin features a 17.9-inch central touchscreen below a 43-inch strip of digital display spanning the lower windshield. A 13-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system is standard, with a head-up display available as an option.
Oliver Zips, Chairman of the Board of Management, BMW AG, won World Car Person of the Year
BMW Group
BMW’s Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, had already won the 2026 World Car Person of the Year award that was announced on February 26th. Zipse has worked at BMW since 1991 and his training in computer science, mathematics, and mechanical engineering contributed to BMW’s electric vehicle development and the launch of the Neue Klasse model line.
Additional 2026 World Car of the Year Winners:
Design: The Mazda 6e, an electric midsize sedan joint venture between Mazda and Changan Mazda in China, won the 2026 World Car of the Year Design category
The Mazda 6e electric car won the 2026 World Car of the Year Design cateogry
Mazda
Urban: The Nio Firefly, an electric subcompact hatchback produced by Nio in China, won the 2026 World Car of the Year Urban Category
The Nio Firefly is an electric subcompact sedan produced by Nio in China
NIO
Luxury: The new Lucid Gravity, Lucid’s SUV/wagon-like follow up to its Lucid Air sedan, wond the 2026 World Car of the Year Luxury category.
The new Lucid Gravity luxury performance car won the Luxury category
Lucid
Performance: The Hyundai Ioniq 6N, a performance sedan from the Korean automaker, won the 2026 World Car of the Year Performance category.
The high-performance Hyundai Ioniq 6N won the World Car of the Year Performance category
Hyundai
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
