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Battery buggy World Car of Year

Nissan's Leaf has made history by becoming the first electric car to win the World Car of the Year title.

The Japanese electric car won the award (announced at the New York auto show) by out-scoring Audi’s A8 and BMW’s 5 Series.

Although finishing second to Chevrolet’s Volt in the Green car category, Nissan was thrilled by its (largely) unexpected overall victory - especially considering recent reliability issues customers have experienced with the Leaf.

"It is a great joy that the world’s first, mass-marketed electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, has won the prestigious award of 2011 World Car of the Year," said Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn.

HOW DID IT WIN?

The judges were impressed by the Leaf’s engineering integrity and seamless packaging but an official statement by the jurors highlighted many reasons for Leaf’s victory.

"This five-seater, four-door hatchback is the world's first purpose-built, mass-produced electric car. It has a range of 160km, claims Nissan, takes around eight hours to recharge and produces zero emissions. The good news? It feels just like a normal car, only quieter."

Beyond Nissan's surprise overall triumph, Ferrari and Aston Martin were the other notable winners.

Aston Martin won the Design of the year award with its striking Rapide four-door performance car, with Ferrari taking the Performance car award ahead of Mercedes-Benz’s SLS AMG and Porsche’s latest 911 Turbo with its 458.

The World Car of the Year competition was launched in 2004, with winners chosen by a panel of automotive journalists from Asia, Europe and North America.
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