Volkswagen Group achieves historic record in Best Cars 2026
- Volkswagen Group wins ten of the 25 categories and takes 28 of the 75 podium positions in Europe's largest car reader poll conducted by the trade magazine auto motor und sport
- In the overall ranking, three wins go to the Volkswagen brand, one of which to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, two to Porsche, and one to Audi; in the import ranking, Škoda is the most successful brand with three awards, Bentley wins one category
Wolfsburg. The Volkswagen Group won ten out of 25 categories in the 50th edition of the “Best Cars” reader poll conducted by the German trade magazine auto motor und sport, setting a historic record. In the overall ranking, the Volkswagen brand secured three victories, one of which went to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Porsche came out on top in two classes, and Audi won once. In the import ranking, Škoda was the most successful brand with three awards, and Bentley won one category. A total of around 95,000 readers cast their votes in "Best Cars 2026," making it the largest car reader poll in Europe.
“The Best Cars Award is one of the most important people’s choice awards for the automotive industry in Europe. The historic result, with ten awards and more than one in three podium positions, is of great value to us. The awards show that our product offensive is working and that our models are very well received by customers. The Volkswagen Group convinces people with strong brands, iconic designs, and innovative technologies that inspire. The strong vote reinforces our ambition to be the global automotive technology driver.”
With its product offensive across all brands and drive types, the Volkswagen Group has comprehensively renewed its portfolio over the past two years and launched around 60 new models. These have been well received by customers and have won numerous tests and awards around the world. The Group will continue to consistently pursue this path in the current year, once again bringing more than 20 new models onto the road. These include pioneering new electric models in China and the Electric Urban Car Family in Europe, consisting of four compact, all-electric vehicles.
The auto motor und sport reader poll began in 1976 under the title "The Best Cars in the World." At that time, a total of 60 cars in six categories were up for selection. In this year's 50th edition, there were 480 models in 13 categories. For each category, there is an overall ranking across all brands and an import ranking in which German brands are not eligible for selection.
The Volkswagen Group brands achieved the following results (number of podium positions / number of class wins):
Volkswagen: 8 / 3, of which Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles 2 / 1
Škoda: 6 / 3
Porsche: 4 / 2
Audi: 5 / 1
Bentley: 1 / 1
CUPRA: 3 / 0
Lamborghini: 1 / 0
Overview:
1. What did the Volkswagen Group achieve in the “Best Cars 2026” awards?
The Volkswagen Group won ten of 25 categories and secured 28 of 75 podium positions, setting a historic record in Europe’s largest car reader poll.
2. Which Volkswagen Group brands performed best?
Volkswagen won three categories, Škoda led the import ranking with three wins, Porsche won two classes, Audi one, and Bentley also secured one category.
3. Why is this result important for the Volkswagen Group?
CEO Oliver Blume says the strong results confirm that the Group’s product offensive is working and that customers value its new models, designs, and innovative technologies.
