The premium minivan takes the top award, while the Leaf wins for design and the R32 Skyline GT-R is honoured as a historic car.
Nissan's all-new Elgrand has won the 2026-2027 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year, the company said on 4 November. Its Leaf was honoured for design, and the 1989 R32 Skyline GT-R was recognised as a historic car, so Nissan leaves with all three honours.
Nissan's new Elgrand has been voted Car of the Year by the Japan Automotive Hall of Fame for 2026-2027, and the company took two further awards on the same day. The Leaf won Car Design of the Year, and the Skyline GT-R in its BNR32 form was named a Historic Car. Nissan announced all three from Yokohama on 4 November.
Why the Elgrand won
Nissan says the judges singled out three things about its premium minivan: electrified technology that balances driving enjoyment with comfort, the quality and performance on offer in a fiercely contested segment, and the refinement of the third-generation e-POWER system and its all-wheel-drive control.
The Elgrand went on sale in July. It uses that third-generation e-POWER hybrid system, the enhanced e-4ORCE electric all-wheel control and Intelligent Dynamic Suspension. Nissan says the combination improves ride comfort for every occupant while keeping the sporting feel it considers part of the Elgrand's character. Buyers have responded: the company reports more than 10,000 cumulative orders.
It is not the first time Nissan has collected the main prize. The Sakura won for 2022-2023, the Note Aura for 2021-2022 and the Leaf for 2011-12.
Leaf takes the design award
The third-generation Leaf was recognised for three qualities in particular:
- a design that reinterprets Japanese aesthetics for the digital age;
- an elegant electric-car shape made possible by careful aerodynamic work;
- a mix of next-generation mobility ideas and visual appeal.
Nissan says the car has also been praised for smooth driving, a practical range and strong charging performance. A B5 grade with a 55 kWh battery joined the line-up in January, pitched as an affordable way into the range for everything from daily use to weekend drives. In July the range grew again with the Leaf Nismo, which carries expertise from the company's motorsport programmes.
This is the fourth time Nissan has won the design award. The first-generation Leaf took it for 2011-2012.
A historic nod for the R32 GT-R
The Skyline GT-R (BNR32) arrived in 1989 and has now been designated a Historic Car for its place in automotive history. It combined a 2.6-litre twin-turbocharged engine, built to comply with FIA regulations, with the ATTESA E-TS electronically controlled all-wheel-drive system. Nissan says the car helped re-establish the company's performance reputation around the world.
The judges also rated its record on track highly. The BNR32 notched up 29 consecutive victories in Japanese touring car racing, along with wins in international races overseas.
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Car of the Year | Elgrand |
| Car Design of the Year | Leaf |
| Historic Car | Skyline GT-R (BNR32) |
