The organizers of the World Car of the Year 2027 awards have just announced the list of 56 models eligible to compete for the World Car of the Year 2027 title. Notably, 27 of these models are from China , accounting for nearly half of the candidates vying for this prestigious award.
This year's list features many Chinese car brands that are expanding their operations into international markets, such as BYD, Chery, Changan, Deepal, Exeed, GAC Aion, Geely, Jetour, Leapmotor, Lynk & Co, Omoda, Onvo, XPeng, and Zeekr.
Some notable Chinese car models include BYD Ti7, Changan Nevo Q05, Chery Q, Deepal S05, Deepal S07, Exeed Exlantix ET, GAC Aion V, Geely Starray EM-i, Jetour G700, Jetour T2, Leapmotor B10, Leapmotor C10, Onvo L90, XPeng G6, XPeng P7+, and Zeekr 8X.
There are as many as 27 Chinese car models, accounting for nearly half of the nominees for the 2027 World Car of the Year award.
Photo: CARSCOOP
The MG4 EV Urban is also on this list. MG originates from the UK but is now owned by China's SAIC Motor Group.
Meanwhile, Japanese, Korean , European, and American brands also have many representatives such as BMW i3, Hyundai Ioniq 3, Hyundai Tucson, KIA EV2, Kia Telluride, Lexus ES, Mazda CX-5, Mercedes-Benz Electric GLC, Nissan Frontier Pro, Subaru Trailseeker, Volkswagen Atlas/Teramont Pro, and Volvo EX60.
With 27 out of 56 nominees, Chinese brands account for approximately 48% of the contenders for the World Car of the Year 2027 award. This percentage is noteworthy because the World Car Awards require participating models to have a minimum production volume of 10,000 units per year, be priced below luxury car levels in their respective markets, and be sold in at least two major markets across two continents between January 1, 2026, and March 19, 2027.
According to the plan, the eligible vehicles will be evaluated and test-driven by an international judging panel in the coming months.
Photo: CARSCOOP
The presence of Chinese cars is also evident in other categories of the World Car Awards 2027. In the World Urban Car category, the list currently includes 11 models competing for the award, with Chery Q, Exeed Exlantix ET, Geely EX2, iCAUR v23, and Leapmotor T03 being representatives from Chinese brands.
In the World Luxury Car category, Chinese brands include models such as Avatr 06, Avatr 07, Avatr 12, Denza BAO 5, XPeng X9, and Zeekr 9X. Meanwhile, the World Performance Car category features Lynk & Co 02 and Zeekr 7GT, alongside models like the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Porsche Cayenne Turbo Electric, and Mercedes-AMG Electric GT 4-Door Coupe. The full list of nominees for the World Electric Vehicle and World Car Design of the Year categories has not yet been announced.
The current list of 56 models is just the beginning of the 2027 World Car Awards season. Eligible models will be evaluated and test-driven by an international judging panel in the coming months. The final 10 nominees for World Car of the Year are expected to be announced in early January 2027. Approximately 100 automotive journalists from around the world will participate in the World Car Awards judging panel. The models will then undergo further evaluation, test drives, and voting before the results are announced in New York on March 24, 2027.
Last year's World Car of the Year award went to the BMW iX3.
Photo: CARSCOOP
Last year, the World Car of the Year award went to the BMW iX3. BMW's electric vehicle also simultaneously won the World Electric Vehicle 2026 title.
The fact that nearly half of the 2027 World Car of the Year nominees are from China doesn't necessarily mean these brands will dominate the final round, as the current list still has several rounds of evaluation to go through. However, the number of nominees shows that Chinese car manufacturers are increasingly making a presence felt in a competition traditionally dominated by Japanese , Korean, European, and American brands.