The global automotive industry is undergoing an unprecedented turnaround, which is clearly visible in the latest nominations for the prestigious international competition World Car of the Year for 2027. The officially announced list of contenders reveals a shocking trend for many: nearly half of all models competing for the grand prize come from Chinese manufacturers.
With a total of 27 proposals out of a total of 56 nominated vehicles in the main category, companies such as BYD, Geely, GAC, Jetour and XPeng demonstrate large-scale geographical and market expansion. While traditional European, Japanese and American giants are slowing down due to complex regulatory requirements and high domestic costs, Chinese brands are successfully meeting the criteria for international accessibility and production at scale, going far beyond their domestic market.
Analysts note that this is not just a quantitative advantage, but a clear demonstration of technological and price competitiveness in key segments such as electric mobility and affordable urban models. Whether the massive presence of Asian brands will turn into real winners before the international jury remains to be seen.
To meet the criteria for winning the title of “World Car of the Year 2027“, nominated cars must be produced in a circulation of at least 10,000 units per year, their price must be below the level of luxury cars in their main markets and must be sold in at least two major markets on at least two continents in the period from January 1, 2026 to March 19, 2027.
The main category for World Car of the Year includes dozens of contenders such as BMW i3, Buick Electra E7, BYD Ti7, Changan Nevo Q05, Chery Q, Chevrolet Aveo, Chevrolet Captiva EV / PHEV, Cupra Raval, Deepal S05, Deepal S07, DS N°7, Exeed Exlantix ET, Exeed RX, GAC Aion UT, GAC Aion V, Geely EX2, Geely Starray EM-i, Hyundai Bayon, Hyundai IONIQ 3, Hyundai Tucson, iCAUR v23, Infiniti QX65, Jetour G700, Jetour T2, Kia EV2, Kia Seltos, Kia Syros EV, Kia Telluride, Leapmotor B10, Leapmotor C10, Leapmotor T03, Lepas L6 EV, Lepas L8 PHEV, Lexus ES, Lincoln Corsair, Lynk & Co 900, Mazda CX-5, Mazda CX-6e / EZ-60, Mercedes-Benz Electric C-Class, Mercedes-Benz Electric GLC, Mercedes-Benz GLA, MG4 EV Urban, Nissan Frontier Pro, Nissan NX8, Omoda 4, Onvo L90, Polestar 4 SUV, Renault Filante, Subaru Trailseeker, Subaru Uncharted, Volkswagen Atlas / Teramont Pro, Volvo EX60, XPeng G6 2026 Edition, XPeng L03, XPeng P7+ and Zeekr 8X.
In urban vehicles, the fight for the World Urban Car award pits compact offerings including Chery Q, Cupra Raval, Exeed Exlantix ET, Geely EX2, Hyundai Bayon, Hyundai IONIQ 3, iCAUR v23, Kia EV2, Kia Syros EV, Leapmotor T03 and Mercedes-Benz GLA.
The luxury segment for World Luxury Car. relies on excellence in comfort and technology with participants such as Audi Q7, Audi Q9, Avatr 06, Avatr 07, Avatr 12, BMW X5, Denza BAO 5, Genesis GV80 Hybrid, Jaguar Type 01, Polestar 5, Porsche Cayenne Electric, Range Rover EV, Range Rover GT, Range Rover Sport EV, XPeng G9 2026 Edition, XPeng G9L, XPeng X9 and Zeekr 9X.
World Luxury Car with high dynamic performance competes Alpine A390 GTS, Cadillac OPTIQ-V, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, Genesis GV60 Magma, Kia EV3 GT, Kia EV4 GT, Kia EV5 GT, Lotus Eletre X, Lynk & Co 02, Mercedes-AMG Electric GT 4-Door Coupé, Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric and Zeekr 7GT.