No conventional combustion engines make the year's top 10
A small but telling shift has taken place in the automotive industry. For the first time in 32 years, the prestigious WardsAuto selection of the year's 10 best powertrains includes no cars powered solely by an internal combustion engine. All the 2026 winners use electric drive or hybrid technology. And the honours went not just to economical family cars, but also to the Porsche 911, BMW M5 and a Chevrolet Corvette developing 920 kW.
Electrification takes all 10 places
US automotive publication WardsAuto announced its annual “10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems” selection on 13 October. The judges assessed 26 powertrains, considering power, torque, fuel and energy consumption, technological innovation and driving comfort.
The result was four all-electric powertrains, four conventional hybrids and two plug-in hybrids.
The 10 best powertrains of 2026:
Model | Powertrain |
Mercedes-Benz GLC 400 4MATIC Electric | Dual-motor electric all-wheel drive |
Rivian R2 Performance | Dual-motor electric all-wheel drive |
Subaru Trailseeker | Dual-motor electric all-wheel drive |
Volvo EX60 P10 AWD | Dual-motor electric all-wheel drive |
Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X | 5.5-litre V8 hybrid |
Hyundai Palisade Hybrid | 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid |
Nissan Rogue Hybrid | 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder hybrid |
Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid | 3.6-litre flat-six hybrid |
BMW M5 Touring | 4.4-litre V8 plug-in hybrid |
Toyota RAV4 PHEV GR Sport | 2.5-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid |
WardsAuto does not rank the 10 winners. All receive equal recognition.
Even a V8 now needs an electric motor
What makes this year's selection particularly interesting is that electrification does not necessarily mean less power or a more restrained driving experience.
The most powerful was the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, whose 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 works with an electric motor driving the front axle. Total system output reaches 920 kW.
The BMW M5 Touring also combines a V8 engine with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, while the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS uses an electric turbocharger and an electric motor integrated into the transmission.
These cars show that electrification is not just about reducing fuel consumption. An electric motor can improve response, fill gaps in torque delivery and boost performance.
The combustion engine's retreat began earlier
WardsAuto has held the competition since 1995. The first hybrid powertrain joined the winners in 2001, when the Toyota Prius received the award.
In 2025, one non-electrified powertrain still made the top 10: the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1's twin-turbocharged V8. Several traditional combustion engines also competed this year, but none made the winners' list.
For the European automotive industry, the result confirms an already familiar direction. Hybrid technology is no longer simply a way to meet emissions requirements, but an important tool for developing more powerful and better powertrains.
Still, it is worth keeping the result in perspective. This is an assessment of new and substantially updated powertrains for the US market, not a comparison of the world's greatest engines of all time. The winners' list does not mean that traditional combustion engines have suddenly become technically unfit for purpose.
Nevertheless, the message is clear. A decade or so ago, a hybrid had to prove it could compete with a combustion engine. Now a conventional combustion engine has to explain why it should do without electric assistance at all.
