autoX - Best Of 2026: Mega Test

Every year, autoX brings together over 50 of the hottest vehicles launched in the past 12 months to determine the top ten – 'The Best of 2026.’

What is the Best of 2026 Mega Test?

The aim of this mega test is to determine a definitive list of the TOP-TEN machines launched in the past year. autoX does this by gathering all the machines launched in the past twelve months – well, 55 of them anyway – and testing them to near destruction to choose the ‘Best of the Year’. The top-ten consists of five four-wheelers, three two-wheelers, and two performance awards for the fastest car and bike around the short loop of the BIC (Buddh International Circuit).

How does autoX choose the ‘Best of 2026’?

autoX evaluates every machine on quality, comfort, ride, handling, refinement, design, drivetrain, practicality and value-for-money. Plus, they rate a vehicle’s X-factor – that special something, je ne sais quoi if you will, that a car or bike brings to the table which just pulls at your heartstrings that little bit more than the competition. In addition, a lap time provides a uniform method to determine all the dynamic factors of a vehicle, such as power, high-speed stability, handling, braking, etc. The aim is to be as transparent, objective, and scientific about this as possible.

Who chooses the Best of 2026?

The autoX team of experienced road testers – with over 100 years of cumulative experience in testing cars and bikes – score every vehicle on different parameters before the final scores are averaged to ensure that no biases come into play. They also publish these points in order to be brutally honest and totally transparent.

Why is this test conducted at the Buddh International Circuit?

The BIC is the perfect proving ground and the only place where the team can truly test each new vehicle in a controlled environment. The BIC allows the jury to push every vehicle to its limit, revealing the inherent engineering under the skin. This is true for everything from a Lamborghini to an Ather.

To get a uniform marker of the dynamic factors of a vehicle – power, stability, handling and braking – each vehicle must set a lap time on the highly technical 2.0-kilometer back half of the circuit, the short-loop of the BIC.

Each vehicle is fitted with a transponder to ensure that all lap times are accurate to the hundredth of a second. The fastest car or motorcycle gets a full set of points, and thereafter points are awarded on a relative scale based on the gap to the leading machines.

How can I see the points scored by each contender and identify the winners?

Scan the QR code that you see here to be directed to the autoX ‘Best of 2026’ microsite to get the full lowdown.