RAC Car Of The Year 2026: 27 Models Shortlisted Across Nine Categories

The RAC has revealed the shortlist for its first-ever RAC New Car Awards, with 27 vehicles competing across nine different categories.

With new brands entering the UK market and drivers now facing an increasingly wide choice of petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric models, choosing the right new car can be more complicated than ever. The RAC says its new awards are designed to highlight some of the most important and appealing new models currently available to UK buyers.

The winners, including the overall RAC Car Of The Year 2026, are due to be announced in September following a final round of testing.

The shortlist covers a broad selection of the UK’s new-car market, ranging from compact city cars and family models through to large SUVs, luxury vehicles and sports cars. There is also a strong focus on electrification, with three dedicated categories covering different sizes of electric cars.

For a vehicle to qualify for the awards, it needed to be available to buy through UK showrooms by the time the shortlist was compiled in June. Models that were not available to the RAC team in right-hand-drive form were not considered.

How Were The RAC Car Of The Year Finalists Chosen?

Each shortlisted vehicle has been independently assessed by the RAC’s motoring team through its in-depth car reviews and rigorous testing process.

Rather than judging the cars purely on performance or driving enjoyment, the RAC considered a range of factors designed to reflect what matters to motorists when choosing a new vehicle.

Every model was scored against its direct competitors using a 10-point system covering seven key areas:

• Value for money
• Running costs
• Safety
• Practicality
• Ride and handling
• Interior and technology
• Performance

This approach means the eventual winners will need to demonstrate more than just impressive headline specifications. Factors such as everyday usability, affordability and ownership costs will also play an important role.

The awards cover nine key areas of the new-car market, covering some of the most popular vehicle types and segments. The categories range from small cars and family models to SUVs, luxury vehicles, sports cars and electric cars.

RAC Car Of The Year 2026 Shortlist

There are nine award categories, each featuring three shortlisted models.

Best Family Car

The family car category features three popular choices that offer a mixture of practicality, comfort and everyday usability:

• Citroën C5 Aircross
• Honda Civic
• Nissan Qashqai

Best Small SUV

Small SUVs continue to be a major part of the UK new-car market, and the RAC has selected:

• Citroën C3 Aircross
• Dacia Duster
• Volkswagen T-Roc

Best Large SUV

For buyers looking for more space and versatility, the large SUV finalists are:

• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Land Rover Defender
• Peugeot 5008

The inclusion of the Peugeot 5008 could also make this category particularly interesting for businesses looking for a larger vehicle that can combine passenger-carrying capability with everyday practicality.

Best Small Electric Car

The small EV category highlights three newer electric models:

• Kia EV2
• MG4 Urban
• Renault 4

With smaller electric cars becoming increasingly important as manufacturers broaden their EV ranges, this could be one of the most closely watched categories.

Best Midsize Electric Car

The RAC’s midsize electric car finalists are:

• Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake
• Renault Scenic E-Tech
• Škoda Elroq

These models demonstrate how quickly the choice of electric vehicles is expanding, particularly for drivers who need more space than a typical small EV can provide.

Best Large Electric Car

Three premium and larger electric models make up the final EV category:

• BMW iX3
• Mercedes-Benz GLC
• Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer

The ID.7 Tourer could be particularly interesting for business users and company car drivers looking for an electric vehicle with increased load and passenger-carrying practicality.

Best Small Car

The shortlist for the best small car award consists of:

• Fiat Grande Panda
• Škoda Fabia
• Toyota Aygo X

These vehicles demonstrate that smaller cars continue to have an important role in the UK market, particularly for drivers prioritising affordability, efficiency and manoeuvrability.

Best Sports Car

For those looking for something considerably more performance-focused, the contenders are:

• BMW M2
• Mazda MX-5
• Porsche 911

This category provides a very different selection from the practical family and electric models elsewhere on the shortlist.

Best Luxury Car

At the top end of the market, the luxury car finalists are:

• BMW i7
• Porsche Panamera
• Range Rover

The BMW i7 also provides another example of how electrification is increasingly reaching the premium end of the market.

Which RAC Shortlisted Cars Could Be Relevant To Fleets?

While the RAC awards cover the wider passenger car market rather than commercial vehicles specifically, several of the shortlisted models could be relevant to business fleets and company car drivers, particularly for companies considering their business car leasing options.

The growing number of electric models is particularly significant. The shortlist includes six dedicated EV finalists across three different size categories, highlighting the continued expansion of choice for drivers considering an electric vehicle. For businesses and company car drivers considering their options, our guide to the top electric cars to lease in 2026 looks at some of the leading EVs currently available.

For fleet operators, factors such as running costs, practicality, safety and value for money can be just as important as performance. These are also among the criteria being considered by the RAC, making the final results potentially useful for businesses reviewing their company car choices.

Models such as the Škoda Elroq, Renault Scenic E-Tech and Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer could be worth watching for businesses considering a move towards electric company cars, while the larger SUVs and family cars may appeal to employees who require additional space. For employees considering an electric car through their workplace, EV salary sacrifice is another option worth considering, potentially offering a cost-effective way to access a new electric vehicle.

When Will The RAC Car Of The Year 2026 Be Announced?

The final stage of the judging process will take place at the RAC’s offices in Bristol.

A team of RAC experts will carry out additional testing before deciding the winners of each category and ultimately selecting the overall RAC Car Of The Year 2026.

The judging panel includes RAC Patrol of the Year Ross Templeman and RAC Mobile Mechanic of the Year Jack Halstead, alongside other members of the RAC’s motoring team.

The RAC says the final decision will consider how well each vehicle performs against the factors that are most important to drivers, including safety, practicality, running costs and overall value.