NEW YORK – The World Car of the Year Awards program recently announced the top 10 finalists for three of its awards, which will be presented at the upcoming New York International Auto Show, according www.autoremarketing.com. A jury of 47 international auto journalists throughout the world selected 10 finalists for the World Car and World Performance Car categories. The finalists for World Green Cars were chosen by default, as only 10 vehicles were nominated.
The panel, made up of representatives from various continents and regions throughout the globe, voted by secret ballot to narrow down the finalists. The award winners’ press conference is scheduled for March 20 at the auto show.
The following are the finalists for each category, listed in alphabetical order:
World Car
World Performance Car
AMG Mercedes-Benz S 63
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster
Audi R8
Audi S5 Coupe
BMW M3
Honda Civic R (Japanese & European spec)
Maserati GranTurismo
Mercedes-Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series
Renault Clio F1 Team R27
Mercedes-Benz CL 63
World Green Car
BMW 118d with Efficient Dynamics
Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell Electric
Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon Hybrids
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
Lexus LS 600h L
Nissan Altima Hybrid
Saturn Aura Green Line
Saturn VUE Green Line
Smart ForTwo cdi
Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI BlueMotion
Before a final vote, the jurors will re-evaluate the vehicles based on the following criteria: overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance. KPMG International will then count the votes before final winners are announced.
In the World Car Design of the Year category, finalists are chosen differently. International design experts create a short list of finalists for the jurors to consider. The jury then votes for the winner from the list.
For more information, visit www.wcoty.com.
