UK Car of the Year Awards 2026 Winners
The UK Car of the Year Awards 2026 winners have landed, and one thing is hard to miss: electrification is no longer the “interesting new corner” of the market. It is the main stage. Five of the eight category winners are outright electric, and the remaining three have battery-electric versions available too.
If you work in the motor trade selling cars, it’s tempting to treat awards as pure marketing fuel. However, for everyday drivers awards can also be a handy shorthand for what’s their best purchase options are. Additionally, for underwriters forecasting future motor insurance costs, awards highlight changes in car design: with more tech, meaning more expensive components, and a greater variety in how cars get repaired after a claim.
The category winners at a glance
Here’s the full winners list as published across the motoring press:
- Small Car: Renault 5 (with nearly two-thirds of the 33-strong judging panel backing it)
- Family Car: Kia EV4
- Small Crossover: Citroën C3 and ë-C3 Aircross
- Medium Crossover: Škoda Elroq (from a 19-car category)
- Large Crossover: Hyundai IONIQ 9 (second year running for Hyundai in this category)
- Executive Car: Audi A6
- Estate Car: Audi A6 Avant
- Performance Car: Alpine A290
The overall UK Car of the Year is due to be announced on 26 February 2026, chosen from these category winners.
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Why EV-heavy award lists matter for insurance
As a motor trader, being aware of a few insurance-related themes might be useful, if your customers are looking at any of these winners, especially the EVs. Afterall, high insurance costs might present a block to a potential sale.
Awards don’t set insurance prices. Real-world claims do. But award-winning cars often become popular cars, and popularity can influence theft interest, repair demand, parts supply pressure, and how quickly repair networks build experience with new models.
1) Repairs are getting more complicated, whatever the fuel type
Modern cars are stuffed with sensors, cameras, radar, and electronics. The ABI has pointed out that increasing vehicle sophistication makes repairs more intricate and time-consuming, which feeds into claims costs.
That applies to a new Audi A6 as much as it does to a shiny new electric crossover.
2) EV batteries change the “repair vs write-off” maths
One of the big EV talking points is what happens after an impact that involves the battery area. The ABI has told a UK Parliamentary committee that BEV batteries are a significant proportion of vehicle value, and that limited repair solutions and diagnostics can push up costs.
Thatcham Research has also warned that if the industry can’t repair damaged batteries cost-effectively, EV insurance pressure is likely to continue.
3) Insurance groups are based on risk factors you can’t eyeball on a test drive
In the UK, Thatcham’s Group Rating considers things like repair strategy, the cost and time to repair, the vehicle’s price, and performance factors.
So two cars that look similar (or even share a platform) can land in quite different groups depending on trims, parts costs, security features, or repair approach.
Practical tips before you start shouting about winners in ads
If you’re a motor trader, it’s worth being careful about implying an award-winning model will be “cheap to insure”. You rarely know that for the individual customer, and it depends on far more than the badge.
A sensible checklist, amongst other potential considerations, for any of your customers who might be considering buying one of these winners is:
- Get insurance quotes early, ideally before you commit to a specific trim and wheel size.
- Consider how repairs are handled for EVs (certain brands may require their own garage network to be used which can cause delays or drive up claims costs and in turn premiums)
- Consider security and where the vehicle is kept overnight.
- Be entirely honest and open, for example, disclose accurately intended usage, annual mileage, modifications, storage, ownership, drivers and their driving records etc. Many factors affect underwriting and failure to disclose can result in claims being declined as well as policies cancelled or voided.
This is general information, not advice. If you want help comparing cover, an FCA-regulated broker can talk through options based on your circumstances.
