Driver Power Manufacturer Award 2026: Mercedes
Mercedes is the winner of our 2026 Driver Power Manufacturer Award
Mercedes-Benz has been voted by you as the UK’s favourite car brand, topping six of the 10 Driver Power categories and delivering the premium experience owners expect of a brand with a long and storied history.
Respondents said they love the interiors of their Mercedes models, particularly the overall styling, build quality and front-seat comfort. This links to a win for the Infotainment category, with owners telling us that the firm’s MBUX offerings are incredibly quick to respond and easy to use, while still providing a solid balance between physical and digital controls. Great smartphone connectivity also means that owners can utilise their own device’s software if they’d rather not use Merc’s.
Even so, it’s the way the cars drive that makes the brand truly stand out; the German maker finished second overall in our Powertrain category, but topped the Ride & Handling section thanks to its cars' supple suspension, responsive steering and smooth brakes. There were strong scores in every other section, too, from Quality & Reliability to Practicality & Boot Space. In fact, with such high ratings across the board, no brand could come close to Mercedes.
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See all the winners...
Click on the gallery below to see all the winners of our 2026 New Car Awards...
You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2026 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more…
New Car Awards 2026: the winners
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