Citroën’s new C5 Aircross has been selected as one of seven finalists for the 2026 Car of the Year award, narrowed down from a longlist of 35 contenders by 59 jury members from 23 European countries. The French automaker now faces stiff competition in a field that includes both affordable electric newcomers and premium offerings, with the winner to be announced on January 9, 2026, during the Brussels International Motor Show.
The finalist lineup comprises Citroën C5 Aircross, Dacia Bigster, Fiat Grande Panda, Kia EV4, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Renault 4, and Škoda Elroq. What’s striking about this year’s selection is the dominance of French brands, with three of the seven finalists coming from manufacturers under the Stellantis umbrella. That concentration suggests either exceptional product development from French automakers or perhaps jury members’ particular appreciation for vehicles targeting mainstream European buyers rather than premium segments.
The C5 Aircross faces an uphill battle against competitors that include Renault’s nostalgic revival of its iconic 4 model, which follows the success of last year’s Renault 5 winner, and Kia’s EV4, representing the Korean brand’s remarkable fifth consecutive year as a COTY finalist. Kia has established itself as a serious long-term contender in Europe’s most prestigious automotive competition, with the EV6 winning in 2022 and the EV3 earning a record-breaking second place in 2025.
Citroën is positioning the new C5 Aircross as a family focused SUV that offers multiple electrified powertrain options, addressing what the company sees as growing demand for flexibility in energy sources. The vehicle comes in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric variants, with the company promising up to 680 kilometers of range on the longest-range electric version. That powertrain diversity could work in its favor with jury members who value giving consumers choices rather than forcing them into pure electric options they may not be ready for.
The jury members evaluated competing models based on demanding criteria including innovation, design, comfort, safety, performance, value for money, and contribution to sustainable development. Citroën’s emphasis on comfort, historically one of the brand’s defining characteristics through features like hydraulic suspension systems, aligns well with these evaluation parameters. The C5 Aircross incorporates progressive hydraulic cushion suspension and what the company calls Advanced Comfort seats, maintaining the brand’s philosophy even as it modernizes other aspects of the vehicle.
Design wise, the new C5 Aircross adopts what Citroën describes as a powerful and muscular appearance while remaining sleek and fluid, incorporating aerodynamic enhancements throughout. Inside, passengers get a modernized dashboard featuring a large Cascade touchscreen, along with driver assistance technologies including Matrix LED headlights and the Drive Assist 2.0 Pack. These features position it competitively against rivals, though they’re not groundbreaking innovations that would necessarily distinguish the vehicle in a field of seven strong finalists.
One advantage the C5 Aircross holds is practicality. Citroën emphasizes generous interior space, particularly in the second row, and boot capacity that remains consistent regardless of engine type. For families, that kind of real-world usefulness matters more than flashy technology features that look impressive in showrooms but prove frustrating in daily use.
The vehicle is developed in France and assembled at the Stellantis plant in Rennes, giving it local manufacturing credentials that may resonate with jury members concerned about European industrial competitiveness. However, that same Stellantis connection could prove problematic given that two other finalists, the Fiat Grande Panda and sister company vehicles, also represent the conglomerate. Splitting votes among multiple entries from the same parent company rarely works out well in awards competitions.
Price positioning varies dramatically among finalists, with the Fiat Grande Panda starting around €17,000 while the Mercedes-Benz CLA commands €54,700. The C5 Aircross sits in the middle at roughly €29,700, making it accessible to mainstream buyers without venturing into budget territory where quality compromises might raise questions.
Before year end, the finalists will face further evaluations across Europe, testing each available powertrain variant. The seven car models will undergo a joint test in Spain at the Parc Motor Castellolí test track before the final vote. This intensive evaluation process means initial selection as a finalist represents just the beginning of a grueling assessment period where any weaknesses in real-world performance, build quality, or user experience will become apparent to experienced automotive journalists.
The Car of the Year award, created in 1963, carries substantial prestige within the European automotive industry. Past winners have included iconic models that went on to define their segments, while some winners are quickly forgotten footnotes that failed to translate award recognition into commercial success. The honor matters more for brand reputation and marketing than for actually driving sales, but manufacturers take the competition seriously as validation of their product development efforts.
For Citroën, making the finalist list represents recognition that the brand remains relevant in an increasingly competitive European market. The company has struggled at times to maintain its distinctive identity within the sprawling Stellantis portfolio, where it competes for resources and attention against brands like Peugeot, Opel, and Fiat. Having a vehicle recognized alongside premium offerings from Mercedes and innovative entries from Kia demonstrates that Citroën can still produce compelling products.
Whether the C5 Aircross can actually win against this field is another question entirely. Six of the shortlisted models are available as fully electric vehicles, while the Bigster will come with petrol and hybrid options. That suggests jury members are still valuing powertrain flexibility over pure electric mandates, which could favor the C5 Aircross’s multi-energy approach. However, Renault’s emotional appeal with the retro-styled 4, Kia’s proven track record in this competition, and Mercedes’s premium positioning all represent formidable obstacles.
Notable absences from the finalist list include the Jeep Compass, which many considered a favorite, and numerous Chinese models that were among the initial candidates. Those omissions highlight that the jury is evaluating vehicles based on more than just specifications and pricing, with factors like brand heritage, European market relevance, and real-world usability playing significant roles in determining which vehicles advance.
The announcement comes at a time when European automakers are grappling with the transition to electrification while also responding to consumer resistance to abandoning internal combustion engines entirely. Citroën’s strategy of offering multiple powertrain options in the C5 Aircross reflects this market reality, but whether that hedging approach resonates with a jury looking for decisive vision remains to be seen.
Created in 1963, the Car of the Year award has evolved from simply recognizing the best new car to reflecting broader debates about sustainability, affordability, and the future direction of European mobility. The 2026 competition appears to be rewarding manufacturers who can balance those sometimes competing priorities rather than those pursuing pure electrification at any cost.
With testing continuing through December and the winner to be announced in early January, Citroën has several weeks to make its case that the C5 Aircross represents the best combination of comfort, practicality, and powertrain flexibility for European families. But with strong competitors offering everything from budget-friendly accessibility to premium refinement to electric innovation, winning this award will require more than just being a competent family SUV. It will require being exceptional in ways that distinguish the C5 Aircross from six other worthy finalists, and that’s a tall order in what looks like one of the most competitive Car of the Year fields in recent memory.
