Seven finalists for Europe’s Car of the Year 2027 named – and they’re all electric

In what is a historic precedent for Europe’s prestigious Car of the Year award, all seven finalists for the 2027 accolade are fully electric.

Assessed for their overall merit, rather than simply their powertrains, it signals a maturing of the EV market, away from fixations on range, charging or comparisons with combustion engined alternatives.

The focus is now increasingly on affordability, design, practicality, quality and driving enjoyment.

Five of the seven are relatively affordable, starting with the Renault Twingo, the Cupra Raval and the Volkswagen ID. Polo.

It’s a major coup for the German car giant to get two finalists in the ranks, particularly as the Raval and ID.Polo shares the same underpinnings – the Group’s front-wheel-drive MEB+ platform. The VW is perhaps the better all-rounder, while the Raval is slightly more engaging to drive. It’s that ability to share so many fundamental components yet offer two distinctive flavours that VW Group is hoping will prove profitable.

Affordability is also key to the two Korean finalists, Hyundai’s Ioniq 3 and the Kia EV2. The sibling brands take two notably different approaches here, with the Ioniq 3 appealing to hatchback fans while the EV2 attempts to lure crossover buyers.

The final two shortlisted are from the premium market and both epitomise the massive technological leaps being made not only in terms of EV technology and range, but also in software systems and engineering.

BMW’s iX3 is the first model built on the firm’s highly anticipated Neue Klasse, while the Volvo EX60 heralds the Swede’s new SPA3 architecture, showcasing its work on megacasting and cell-to-body battery construction. Both claim official ranges of more than 800km on certain versions.

The winner will be announced at the Brussels Motors show on January 8th, 2027.