Mercedes-Benz CLA wins 2026 Car of the Year award

The Mercedes-Benz CLA was named ‘2026 Car of the Year’ at the Brussels Motor Show in Belgium, beating fellow nominees: the Citroën C5 Aircross, Dacia Bigster, Fiat Grande Panda, Kia EV4, Renault 4 and Škoda Elroq.

The Car of the Year award has been running since 1964, and chooses the best new car launched in Europe.

The European Car of the Year jury, made up of 59 leading automotive journalists from 23 countries, chose the German model as their winner with a score of 320 points, 100 more than the Škoda Elroq. Jurors each had 25 points to award, and no car was allowed to receive more than 10 points per juror. The CLA takes the crown from last year’s winning Renault 5 E-Tech / Alpine A290 combo

It is the second victory for the German brand in the 62-year history of the Car of the Year prize, with the first being won by the Mercedes-Benz 450 SE/SEL in 1974.

The majority of this year’s finalists were 100% electric, with all having electrified features to some extent, in what was a highly competitive field.

The CLA has been on sale in Europe since the middle of 2025 and is set to arrive in the USA and other countries in the near future. Its electric variant has a range of 492 miles.

Final Standings

1. Mercedes-Benz CLA — 320 points
2. Škoda Elroq — 220 points
3. Kia EV4 — 208 points
4. Citroën C5 Aircross — 207 points
5. Fiat Grande Panda — 200 points
6. Dacia Bigster — 170 points
7. Renault 4 — 150 points

words: Mike Booth
pictures: Mercedes-Benz