Throughout winter, leading motoring publications host award ceremonies where they reveal their top cars for the coming year. Some unveil their winners in December, whilst others delay for a month and disclose which vehicles have claimed the top accolade in January.
Prestigious motoring publication WhatCar? recently revealed their award winners, and whilst there were numerous categories, there could only be one car of the year.
The winning vehicle was an electric model which had already garnered multiple awards from comparable motoring publications, and appears poised to captivate the 2026 market.
The highly-acclaimed vehicle was the electric BMW iX3, a large electric premium SUV, which was bestowed the awards not because of what it is, but what it represents.
In their explanation of why they had presented the iX3, whose prices begin from £58,755, with the award, WhatCar? declared it was because the car had surpassed its competitors "with a stepchange in capability".
They clarified that, alongside its technological excellence, its 500 mile range would render anxiety over electric cars "a thing of the past", as well as the fact it can charge (refuel) at high speeds.
Moreover, they noted the driver aids were efficient in the operation of the iX3, particularly regarding the car's agility.
Ultimately, they concluded: "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."
Yet WhatCar? aren't alone in showering the iX3 with acclaim. Towards the end of last year, Top Gear also crowned it their car of the year.
Speaking about the iX3 at Top Gear's 2026 Car of the Year Awards, the magazine's consultant editor Paul Horrell remarked: "The iX3 is wholly new. Above and beneath. Bumper to bumper. Ground to cloud.
"It has the magic 500-mile claimed range, an entirely new interior concept, but most importantly it drives like a BMW ought to - not like a bulky EV crossover, or soulless digital first zombiemobile.
"BMW's cars have always strived to be at the tip of mainstream excellence - the iX3 puts them back where they belong."
Following their win, BMW Group UK and Ireland CEO David George released a statement saying: "The launch of the new BMW iX3 represents more than just the debut of an exceptional new model - it signals the start of an exciting and transformative chapter for our brand."
