Mercedes-Benz CLA has won the 2026 European Car of the Year award at the Brussels Motor Show. The German brand last collected the prestigious title in 1974.
Mercedes-Benz has been crowned kings of the road at the Brussels Motor Show with its all-electric CLA winning the 2026 European Car of the Year award.
The German luxury sedan took first place in the fiercely competitive contest to win its first title since the 450E claimed the prize in 1974.
A jury made up of 59 motoring journalists, representing 23 countries, picked the car above the chasing pack, praising its real-world range and efficiency and 'appealing dynamic character'.
The German premium manufacturer succeeds France's Renault 5 E-tech and beat Skoda's Elroq into second place.
The voting process, however, is not designed to provide a scale of merit of all competing cars. There are no categories, sub-divisions or class winners.
This year's edition was more competitive than ever, given that all the finalist models had electrified features, and most of them were 100% electric.
There were five other contenders in the race for the coveted title with the Kia EV4 taking third spot.
Best of the rest
In selecting the car of the year the jury must consider the following criteria: design, comfort, safety, economy, handling, performance, functionality, environmental requirements, driver satisfaction, and price.
