Innovation continues to reshape the driving experience, and the 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards highlight the breakthrough technologies leading the way.

Recognizing the most advanced, intuitive, and impactful automotive innovations, the 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards celebrate how cutting-edge tech is transforming safety, performance, and everyday driving. From intelligent driver-assistance systems to next-level connectivity, the MotorTrend Best Tech Awards set the standard for what the future of mobility looks like. Full details here.

Here are the key factors MotorTrend focuses on when selecting the winners:

• Innovation
• User Experience
• Usefulness
• Safety and Privacy
• Value

The 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Award winners: our top four

Infotainment: Audi MMI

Audi’s MMI infotainment system is designed with the driver in mind, delivering a clean, fast, and easy-to-use experience. Audi MMI® (Multi Media Interface) is Audi’s advanced infotainment system designed to keep drivers seamlessly connected, informed, and entertained. It features an intuitive touchscreen interface, crisp digital displays, voice control, and integration with Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. With available navigation, customizable driver profiles, and access to vehicle settings all in one place, Audi MMI delivers a modern, user-friendly experience that enhances both convenience and driving enjoyment.

Discover the: 2025 TOP SAFETY PICK+ winners

MotorTrend praises the Audi tech: "Where other automakers have struggled to adapt to an ever more digital world, Audi has shown that its “progress through technology” slogan also applies to its infotainment efforts. Audi MMI demonstrates that a car can have a satisfying user interface with cleaner integration than what we’ve seen from its competitors and their tablet-on-the-dash approach to infotainment. The infotainment wars are far from over, but for now, Audi wins this battle." 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards full details here.

Powertrain: Porsche Taycan Turbo GT

MotorTrend recognizes the Taycan Turbo GT for its exceptional power and thrilling performance: "The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT’s powertrain stress-tests the laws of physics...it doesn’t just make more power—the motors, inverters, and battery absorb more and use it more efficiently coming and going." Full details here.

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT delivers extreme performance with up to 1,019 horsepower, a top speed of 180 mph, and a blistering 0–60 mph time of just 2.2 seconds. It also supports rapid DC fast charging, reaching 10–80% in as little as 18 minutes. Motortrend adds, "Not just better than the old model and not just blisteringly quick in both acceleration and charging, the new Taycan Turbo GT’s powertrain is almost unmatched. The only car that can outrun it in a straight line—the Lucid Air Sapphire—can't keep up once a corner is introduced into the equation."

You may also like: Porsche Taycan EV of the Year

Chassis: Ferrari Active Suspension

MotorTrend states that the Ferrari Active Suspension, "Proves comfort and performance can coexist." First introduced in the Purosangue, the Ferrari Active Suspension technology uses Multimatic’s True Active Spool Valve technology, which allows each damper to operate independently, rather than simply reacting to road forces. A compact motor control module integrated directly into each damper—an industry first—enables precise, real-time adjustments at all four corners. The result is exceptional control, comfort, and performance working together seamlessly. 2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards full details here.

Augmented Reality: Audi

MotorTrend describes Audi Augmented Reality as "Spooky, slick, and seamless...Clever use of animation and audio cues makes this the best augmented reality system on the road today." Full details here.

Discover the best: 2026 luxury sedans

Audi’s augmented reality (AR) head-up display takes navigation and driving info beyond a traditional HUD by overlaying digital cues directly onto the real world in the driver’s line of sight. Instead of just showing speed or directions on a flat screen, the AR system uses the windshield to project turn-by-turn arrows, speed limits, and alerts so they appear to float over the actual road ahead, making it easier to follow guidance without looking down. 

The latest from Audi: All-New 2026 Audi A6

In conclusion, MotorTrend states that although AR systems are fairly new and something that is yet to evolve, "if you want a first taste of the future we’ve all been promised, the best augmented reality system on the road today belongs to Audi."

2026 MotorTrend Best Tech Awards: winners full list

• Infotainment: Audi MMI
• Driver Assistance: Tesla Full Self-Driving (Supervised)
• Powertrain: Porsche Taycan Turbo GT
• Autonomous Vehicle: Waymo One
• Chassis: Ferrari Active Suspension
• Public Charging Experience: Lucid Gravity
• Artificial Intelligence: No Winner
• Augmented Reality: Audi
• Automaker App: Rivian
• Aftermarket App: PlugShare
• Home EV Charger: Emporia Pro
• General Excellence: Cadillac Escalade Power Doors