Historic First: Every 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines Winner Is Electrified

WardsAuto has named its 2026 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems winners, and for the first time since the program began in 1995, every honoree uses some form of electrification. The list, announced October 13: four battery-electrics (Mercedes-Benz GLC 400 4Matic Electric, Rivian R2 Performance, Subaru Trailseeker, Volvo EX60 P10 AWD), four hybrids (Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, Hyundai Palisade Hybrid, Nissan Rogue Hybrid, Porsche 911 Carrera GTS T-Hybrid) and two plug-in hybrids (BMW M5 Touring, Toyota RAV4 PHEV GR Sport).

The diversity is the story. Seven of the ten are crossover utilities, joined by two sports cars and one wagon, built across five countries — and prices range from the $43,035 Nissan Rogue Hybrid to the $242,060 Corvette ZR1X, with seven of ten stickers averaging under $55,000. The most powerful winner, the 1,250-horsepower Corvette ZR1X, pairs a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8 with a 186-horsepower electric motor on the front axle. “It’s hard to believe the car-buying public once considered hybrids slow and underpowered,” said juror Drew Winter.

The shutout was close: the only pure-gas nominees — the Corvette’s 6.7-liter LS6 V8, the Dodge Charger Scat Pack’s Hurricane inline-six, the Ram 1500 TRX’s supercharged Hemi and others — all fell short. Electrification first appeared on the list in 2001 with the original Toyota Prius; 25 years later, juror Bob Gritzinger notes, hybrids are “no longer niche vehicles, but integral to automakers’ product portfolios.”