Key highlights from the Brussels Motor Show 2026
13 January 2026
With model debuts and the European Car of the Year award, the Brussels Motor Show is an important automotive event. Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry presents highlights from this year’s show.
The Brussels Motor Show has grown in stature in recent years. Since the doors closed on the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) in Switzerland, automotive brands have shifted their focus to the Belgian event.
As the first automotive event of 2026, the Brussels Motor Show also provided a look at potential upcoming market trends. Talks of fresh partnerships, new brands, plus continued fleet electrification highlighted Europe’s developing automotive market.
Autovista24 looks at a selection of new models and interviews the winners of the European Car of the Year 2026.
Plenty to see at Brussels Motor Show
The halls at the Brussels Expo were packed with carmakers, many bringing new or refreshed models to display.
This included the Kia EV2, a new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) which completes the Korean brand’s EV line-up. By adding a small city-car model to its range, the company can cater to many different drivers. Kia also introduced an expanded GT model range, including the EV3 GT, EV4 Hatchback GT and EV5 GT.
Opel used the show to reveal the new Astra, with an improved ‘Vizor’ headlight profile. This features an illuminated badge sitting central to new lighting strips. The Stellantis Brand also redesigned the interior to make it more comfortable.
Subaru arrived at the event with two BEVs, the e-Outback and the Uncharted. Both cars feature all-wheel drive, keeping the brand’s offroad credentials intact.
Mitsubishi used the show to highlight its new range, as it makes a European comeback. Models included the ASX, the Eclipse Cross, the Grandis and the Outlander PHEV. With the brand working in partnership with Renault, it will be hoping to re-establish a foothold in the European market.
Another brand that will be working with Renault is Ford, which confirmed two new small cars will arrive in 2028. The carmaker brought its Ranger plug-in hybrid (PHEV), alongside a mix of passenger cars and light-commercial vehicles. Central to this was a remote-control car racing track, with drivers able to race using simulation rigs.
Who won European Car of the Year 2026?
The Brussels Motor Show is also the new home of the European Car of the Year awards. A shortlist of seven new models was judged by automotive journalists from across Europe, with points awarded to each.
This year, the Citroen e-C5 Aircross, Dacia Bigster, Fiat Grande Panda, Kia EV4, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Renault 4 and Skoda Elroq made the shortlist. Of these, judges awarded the Mercedes-Benz CLA the most points, giving it the 2026 title.
This was the first time the German carmaker won European Car of the Year since 1974. The result also broke a two-year winning streak for Renault. It saw its Scenic take the title in 2023, and the Renault 5 in 2024.
‘It really means a lot to me, and also the Mercedes-Benz team, many hundreds and thousands of people who worked to make this car happen. It is a great reward to get this trophy from journalists across the whole of Europe, especially with many countries voting the CLA in first place,’ Oliver Löcher, vice president, overall vehicle integration at Mercedes-Benz, told Autovista24.
‘In some aspects, the CLA is a pivotal car. It is the first on our new compact platform, on which we will now roll out derivatives, like the GLB, which we launched at Brussels. It is also the first car with our latest generation e-drive, featuring 800-volt, high-efficiency fast charging. It is also the platform for our new MBO operating system. The CLA is, therefore, the frontrunner of a new generation of Mercedes-Benz cars,’ he added.
‘This year will see a lot of new-car launches from ourselves, making it a very exciting and busy year. But for now, we have the CLA, and I am very happy to see it win the European Car of the Year,’ Löcher concluded.
Awards come to Brussels Motor Show
The European Car of the Year award continues to be coveted by carmakers. This was clear in the reaction of the Mercedes-Benz team, with celebrations continuing throughout the event.
‘Even though the European Car of the Year award has been running since 1964, it is still very relevant. For consumers, today they face a lot of new technologies, and even new brands that were not heard of some years ago,’ commented Søren W. Rasmussen, president of the jury at the European Car of the Year.
‘This means they need guidance, and the Award winner, and its finalists, all help guide consumers directly to the best cars in the market. It is, therefore, very important for carmakers to have this prize,’ he added.
The European Car of the Year award was a staple of the Geneva International Motor Show. But moving to the Brussels Motor Show has allowed the award to provide a full year of benefits for the winner and the finalists.
Yet while the Mercedes-Benz team celebrate winning the 2026 prize, attention has already turned to the 2027 award. ‘We now start looking into the cars which can be candidate cars for the prize next year. As we walk around this exhibition, we can see already now there are some very good cars which will be definitely on the long list, and may make the shortlist for the end of 2026,’ concluded Rasmussen.
