I didn’t even have time to tell you a few days ago who were the 7 Car of the Year 2026 finalists in Romania, the ones who faced off today for the supreme title… So, without making a boring introduction, I can put here not only the 7 finalists, but also the order in which they ranked following the vote of the 13 members of the jury of this edition.
1. BYD Dolphin Surf – 134 points
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2. Dacia Bigster – 125 points
3. Renault 5 – 121 points
4. Ford Puma Gen-E – 116 points
5. KIA EV4 – 110 points
6. Citroen C3 Aircross – 71 points
7. FIAT Grande Panda – 64 points
I was also part of the jury this year and I would like to tell you how I awarded the points for the Car of the Year 2026 in Romania. As every time since I have participated, the tests with the 7 finalists took place both on public roads and on a complex route organized on the circuits Titi Aur Academy. After driving in extremely varied conditions, being able to understand very precisely the behavior of each model, and after analyzing the cars in terms of design, build quality, space, features, etc., I scored as follows:
1. BYD Dolphin Surf – 15 points. Not only I gave the maximum points to this model, but also 5 other members of the jury (so there were 6 of us who placed Dolphin Surf in first place). I was extremely pleasantly surprised by everything this little fully electric city car stands for. It’s “nice” on the outside from me, but it was the inside that weighed much more heavily on subjective analysis. It’s an interior that C-segment competitors (maybe even higher in some cases) can only dream of. Excellent build quality, very solid assembly, with carefully crafted finishes and incredibly good materials. Lots and lots of space in the passenger compartment relative to the exterior dimensions and a level of equipment that leaves you speechless, so to speak.
The fact that the infotainment screen rotates electrically from landscape to portrait mode I can’t say is of much practical value, but I couldn’t help but appreciate how sturdy that grip is, the screen actually seems “welded” there in either position. Then you have electric adjustment for both front seats (which are in great shape, very comfortable and with optimal support in all directions), all sorts of sensors and assistance systems that work amazingly well, and much, much more. How about the fact that you also have 360-degree video cameras with very good resolution and that the interface of the infotainment system is intuitive and runs very smoothly…
And then, there’s the road wear… Here again the BYD Dolphin Surf scores decisively. It behaves like a bigger car, stable (very fun on the circuit too) and with a suspension that effectively filters out any bumps, and that without noises from the joints. No noise at all, at 100 km/h it is so quiet that you have the impression that you are actually driving at 50-60 km/h. Yes, very well soundproofed, nothing disturbs inside. And there is much more to appreciate and remember about this surprising BYD Dolphin Surf, but I conclude by saying that I have given it maximum points especially because you get all this at a very good starting price – from €15,700 with VAT and Rabla Plus voucher included. It is true that it is about the basic version, but anyway that is also well equipped.
2. Renault 5 – 11 points. I understood on this occasion why the R5 is the Car of the Year 2025 in Europe…
Yes, it is very successful, from a pleasant design, an interior at least on the same level in terms of appearance, but also well built, with exemplary road holding (independent rear axle in this segment is a rarity and really makes a difference), good consumption, therefore increased efficiency, but also a fairly fair price compared to all this.
3. Dacia Bigster – 9 points. I tested it thoroughly in the summer and you have in acel review all the details.
I didn’t rank it higher because of the price, which to me seems a bit optimistic compared to the perceived quality. The big advantages remain interior space, handling and efficiency, i.e. good fuel consumption. The steering of the manual gearbox, in particular, could be perfected.
4. KIA EV – 7 points. By far the most refined car in this final.
There were two models present in the final tests, but neither of them I can say appeals to me in terms of exterior design. Inside, instead, lounge-like atmosphere, lots of space, solid and quality assembly, with at least decent but not necessarily impressive materials. The handling emphasizes comfort, but the EV4 also remains very pleasant to drive. It lost points from me because of the price, which makes this EV one that few can afford without some sacrifices.
5. Ford Puma Gen-E – 6 points. Our Olteanca is not bad, not bad at all, but it feels like an older idea.
We know it well as a design, and as a road wear it is a rather rigid idea, on the other hand it holds well on curves. It would have been worth it, on my part, a bit more power, precisely because it urges you to get involved behind the wheel through the setting of the running gear. Unfortunately, the Puma Gen-E doesn’t do great on consumption when you push it harder, it’s efficient at normal riding, that’s right. It’s just that when I got to the circuit it was proven, at the end of the day the autonomy on board was… zero.
6. Citroen C3 Aircross – 5 points. I had a hard time putting this model behind the Puma, the decision was borderline.
I appreciated the supreme comfort of the suspensions, the level of space, the interior layout (although it may seem complicated, in fact you have almost everything at your fingertips) and the good price for everything you get. It’s not the most refined, meaning it shows that some compromises have been made to get this good price, but I think it deserves more attention than it gets.
7. FIAT Grande Panda – 4 points. It received minimum points not only from me, but also from 5 other members, while 4 more members of the jury gave only 5 points.
It looks very funky, let me tell you, both outside and inside, but it doesn’t convince at all in terms of roadworthiness or build quality. The engine is rough, the automatic gearbox shifts hard (on the thermal version, being also available as an EV), the suspension is noisy and doesn’t handle almost any bumps, and the assembly and, above all, the detail finishes leave a lot to be desired.
That’s about it from the Car of the Year 2026 final in Romania. How do you like the results? Shall we continue the discussion in the comments area?
