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During the winter, major motoring publications hold awards ceremonies in which they name their top cars for the upcoming year. Some announce their winners in December, whilst others wait a month and reveal which cars have secured the top prize in January.

Renowned motoring publication WhatCar? recently announced their award winners, and whilst there were a variety of categories, there could only be one car of the year.

Said car was an electric vehicle which had already received several awards from similar motoring publications, and looks set to capture the imaginations of the 2026 market.

The highly-rated vehicle was the electric BMW iX3, a large electric premium SUV, which was given the awards not because of what it is, but what it stands for.

In their summary of why they had given the iX3, whose prices start from £58,755, the award, WhatCar? stated it was because the car had leapfrogged its rivals "with a stepchange in capability".

They explained that, alongside its technological prowess, its 500 mile range would make anxiety over electric cars "a thing of the past", as well as the fact it can charge (refuel) at high speeds.

Furthermore, they said the driver aids were effective in the operation of the iX3, especially when it came to the car's agility.

Overall, they concluded: "Our winner is a car that will make you smile for any number of reasons and, more importantly, it'll keep you smiling in the way that only great cars do. That's exactly what the iX3 is: a truly great car."

However, WhatCar? aren't the only people to have heaped praise on the iX3. At the end of last year, Top Gear also made it their car of the year.

Talking about the iX3 at Top Gear's 2026 Car of the Year Awards, the consultant editor of the Top Gear Magazine, Paul Horrell said: "The iX3 is wholly new. Above and beneath. Bumper to bumper. Ground to cloud.

"It has the magic 500-mile claimed range, an entirely new interior concept, but most importantly it drives like a BMW ought to - not like a bulky EV crossover, or soulless digital first zombiemobile.

"BMW's cars have always strived to be at the tip of mainstream excellence - the iX3 puts them back where they belong."

In a statement following their victory the CEO of BMW Group UK and Ireland David George said: "The launch of the new BMW iX3 represents more than just the debut of an exceptional new model - it signals the start of an exciting and transformative chapter for our brand."