Car Design Award 2026: Alcantara is Partner Again, Here Are the Winners

Automotive design is no longer (just) a matter of sheets of metal and engines, but a complex ecosystem where sustainability intersects with digital innovation. We saw this clearly in Milan, at the ADI Design Museum, where the award ceremony for the Car Design Award 2026 took place. An event that, amidst the frenzy of Milan Design Week, reaffirmed how the future of mobility inevitably involves research on materials and the vision of design studios.

Atelier Alcantara: Where Material Comes to Life

The undisputed protagonist of the day was Alcantara, partner of the award and a catalyst for creativity through the "Atelier Alcantara" project. Not just a simple stand, but an exhibition laboratory that illustrates how material can transform into a design experience. The company, led by Eugenio Lolli, managed to turn the installation into an experiential path touching upon its pillars: automotive, fashion, and design. Particularly interesting was the collaboration with young talents from the Kingston School of Art and IED Milano, demonstrating how "creative contamination" is the fuel for tomorrow's designers.

The artistic touch was added by Chris Lefteri, the new Design Ambassador of Alcantara, who emphasized how materials are not just functional elements but true engines of emotion. This approach is consistent with a brand that has been seriously committed to Carbon Neutrality since 2009.

The Talk: "Sustainable Intelligence"

Before revealing the winners, the talk "Sustainable Intelligence - Design in the Age of AI" compared different visions. Lefteri, along with Luca Borgogno (IAAD), Florian Seidl (Lavazza), and Alessandro Belosio (Toyota), explored the boundary between the efficiency of algorithms and tactile, human sensitivity, a hot topic as AI increasingly enters the creative processes of design studios.

The Winners of Car Design Award 2026

The jury, chaired by Silvia Baruffaldi (Editor of Auto&Design), selected the excellences that best interpreted change in three key categories:

1. Concept Cars: Audi Concept C
   The top spot belongs to Audi. The Concept C convinced with its "radical simplicity."
   Reason: A pure form that seems sculpted from a single block of aluminum, capable of bringing minimalism back to the center of contemporary design.
   Podium: 2nd Genesis Magma GT, 3rd Citroën ELO.

2. Production Cars: Renault Twingo E-Tech Electric
   Among production cars, the intelligent nostalgia of Renault triumphs.
   Reason: The lively design of the new Twingo transforms the small format into a statement. It wins for its ability to combine accessibility and style, winking at the revolutionary minivan of the '90s without being trivial.
   Podium: 2nd BMW iX3, 3rd Ferrari 849 Testarossa.

3. Brand Design Language: Jeep
   The award for stylistic consistency across the entire range went to the Jeep team.
   Reason: For its ability to reinterpret universal symbols (like the seven-slot grille) in the context of energy transition, making authenticity the pillar of the brand.
   Podium: 2nd Genesis, 3rd (tie) BMW and Dacia.