For the First Time, No Pure Gasoline Engine Made the Wards 10 Best Engines List

The picture that emerged when the 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines list was announced documents a quiet but clear turning point in automotive history: for the first time in the award program's thirty-two-year history, a naturally aspirated gasoline engine power unit failed to make the list. 4 battery-electric, 4 hybrid and 2 plug-in hybrid The ten-strong list, made up of power units, was announced in Detroit on October 13, 2026. If we recall that electrification entered the list in 2001 with the first-generation Toyota Prius, it would not be wrong to say this result is the natural destination of a trend that has been advancing for years; still, few wrote this time last year that a completely combustion-free list would one day emerge.

Which engines and power units are on the 2026 list?

All ten winners, selected from among 26 candidates, are electrified power units. The list's four electric entries consist of the dual-motor systems of the Mercedes-Benz GLC 400 4Matic Electric, Rivian R2 Performance, Subaru Trailseeker and Volvo EX60 P10 AWD. In the hybrid category are the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X's 5.5-liter turbo V-8, the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid's 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder, the Nissan Rogue Hybrid's 1.5-liter three-cylinder and the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS's eTurbo-charged 3.6-liter flat-six. On the plug-in hybrid side are the BMW M5 Touring's 4.4-liter turbo V-8 and the Toyota RAV4 PHEV GR Sport's 2.5-liter engine.

The list's balance in terms of body styles is also significant: seven CUVs, two sports cars and one sport wagon. This distribution shows that electrification has become standard equipment not only for efficiency-focused family vehicles but also for the performance segment. The awards ceremony will be held on November 4, 2026, at Lovett Hall in Dearborn, Michigan.

How and based on what is the Wards 10 Best list selected?

Those who have followed this program for years know: the selection is not based on laboratory measurements but on the objective and subjective evaluations editors make during daily drives over an approximately two-month testing period. There is no instrumented testing; instead, horsepower and torque, as well as NVH - that is, noise, vibration and harshness levels - observed efficiency and the innovative nature of the technology are scored. A critical detail is this: only completely new or significantly developed power units, along with the previous year's returning winners, can be tested.

The jury's guiding question is also telling: Does this powertrain sell the car? The program has no electrification requirement; the winners are determined entirely by performance and technology scores. In other words, the picture in the 2026 list is not so much a reward committee's preference as a snapshot of where the market and technology have arrived.

The history should also be known. The list began in 1994, for the 1995 model year, and has been published every year since. For a long time there was a base price cap - $50,000 in 1995, $65,000 in the 2020 list - and after 2020 this cap was removed entirely. The program's name was also changed that year to Wards 10 Best Engines and Propulsion Systems; even that name change was a sign of acknowledging that the word "engine" no longer covers only internal combustion engines.

What do the standout powertrains on the list say?

By top billing on the list, its undisputed star is the 1,250-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X. Behind the twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8, a 186-horsepower electric motor driving the front axle has been added - meaning that even a vehicle that could be considered the last bastion of the pure combustion camp could not make the list without electric assistance. For those who think in old habits, this is a detail that amounts to a tombstone for the old perception that hybrids restrict power.

On the price side the picture is also bold. The Nissan Rogue Hybrid at $43,035 is the most affordable member of the list; at the other end is the $242,060 Corvette ZR1X. More importantly, seven of the winners carry a sticker below an average of $55,000. The most tangible proof that electrification has ceased to be a luxury virtue and become a mainstream technology is hidden in these numbers.

The Nissan Rogue Hybrid's entry into the list also shows how efficient variable compression engine technology can be when paired with a hybrid system. The Subaru Trailseeker, meanwhile, is described as the brand's fastest vehicle to date; it offers a larger cargo volume and higher roof than the Solterra. In the Hyundai Palisade Hybrid's win, the combination of hybrid efficiency with mechanical AWD capability, 329 horsepower of system output and range figures were decisive.

How has electrification settled into the list? A comparison with previous years

Looking at the history of this business, it appears that 2026 is not actually a shock but a completion. Electrification first entered the list in 2001, with the win of the first-generation Toyota Prius. From that year on, the trend progressed slowly but steadily upward: the share of electric and hybrid among the winners was around 80% in 2021, 70% in 2022, 70% in 2023, and 80% in 2024. In the 2025 list the rate rose to 90%; the only powertrain running on pure gasoline is the Corvette ZR1's V8.

So the final step from 90% to 100% was, in a way, an expected step, considering that the candidate pool still contained pure combustion representatives such as the Dodge Charger Scat Pack, Ram 1500 TRX and Corvette 6.7. On the other hand, six of the candidates in the 2025 program had been returning winners; the Ford F-150 and Honda Civic hybrid power units were among those returnees. In terms of brands, the historical tally is still held by established players such as BMW (41 awards including Mini), Ford (40) and GM (39); adding that these names also appeared on the lists with combustion engines for many years, it becomes easier to grasp how comprehensive the transformation is.

Why is there no longer a pure gasoline engine on the list?

Naming a single reason would be cheating; several trends are feeding into each other here. The first is the maturing of hybrid technology. Hybrids used to be equated with slow, underpowered and dull vehicles; today, the spectrum ranging from the 911's eTurbo system to the Palisade's hybrid with mechanical AWD proves that electric assistance lifts both performance and efficiency upward. The jury's conclusion in evaluating this year's candidate pool points exactly in that direction: hybrids are no longer a niche solution, but an integral part of manufacturers' product portfolios.

The second reason is the level that electric power units have reached in terms of driving quality. All four winners in the BEV category use dual-motor systems; the group ranging from the Mercedes-Benz GLC 400 4Matic Electric to the Rivian R2 Performance, and from the Subaru Trailseeker to the Volvo EX60 P10 AWD, offers an experience so refined in terms of NVH and torque delivery in everyday use that combustion engines cannot compare. Considering the editors' evaluation method based on daily driving, this natural advantage reflecting into the scores is inevitable.

The third and perhaps the weightiest reason: the market itself. In a market moving away from roughly a century of pure internal combustion dominance, manufacturers now offer electrified power units in every segment. The fact that a handful of pure combustion engines remain on the candidate list shows the transition is not yet complete; but even these engines' power is mostly reinforced with electric assistance. In an environment where even the hottest sports cars have come to seek help from electricity, it is not too bold to say that a fully pure combustion engine no longer has a path left to win the award.

What does this turning point mean?

For someone who has been following this industry for more than three decades, the 2026 list reads like a seal closing an era. There were years when we used to debate which V8 or high-revving straight-six would take first place; now the debate has shifted to the balance between four BEVs and four hybrids. WardsAuto's characterization of a milestone is no exaggeration; but what is remarkable is that the program still makes room for pure combustion engines in its candidate pool. In other words, the door is still open - it is just that none able to pass through that door has emerged.

In conclusion, the 2026 Wards 10 Best list is not a death notice for the internal combustion engine; it is an official certification that electrification has won the race in terms of performance, efficiency, and usability. The spectrum ranging from the Corvette ZR1X's 1,250-horsepower hybrid system to the Nissan Rogue Hybrid's $43,035 efficiency also effectively contains within it the answer to the question of whether pure gasoline engines will return to this list in the coming years: it seems that in order to return, they will first need to be coupled with an electric motor.

Sources

• Historic shift: 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems awards go entirely to electrified powertrains
• Electrification in full force on Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems winners list
• Ward's 10 Best Engines
• All-New Nissan Rogue Hybrid named to 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines and Propulsion Systems
• Subaru Trailseeker wins spot in Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems list
• Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems (AutoTech Events)
• Electrified Powertrains Sweep All 10 Spots on 2026 Wards 10 Best Engines
• Only One Pure Combustion Engine Made Wards' 10 Best List