World Car of the Year shortlist
2010-02-04 08:31
The World Car of the Year shortlist has been announced – and yes, there are some shockers.
Now running for its seventh year (and on the cusp of a seven year itch perhaps?), the World Car of the Year award (WCOTY) winners will be presented at the New York auto show on 1 April.
Last year the Volkswagen Golf and Nisan GT-R won the World Car and Performance Car of the Year categories, respectively.
A global group of 59 motoring journalists (including one South African and way too many Australians) make up the WCOTY voting panel.
With preliminary voting completed the panel has selected its top 10 list of candidates for the overall WCOTY winner and the 2010 Performance Car award.
Car of the Year
The 2010 World Car of the Year nominees most probable to take the title include Toyota’s Prius, Porsche Panamera, Audi Q5 and the new Volkswagen Polo.
Other shortlisted contenders (with an outside chance at the title) are BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mazda3 and Kia Soul. GM’s Chevrolet Cruze and Opel Insignia round off the list as rank outsiders.
Really fast car of the year
The World Performance Car of the Year candidates list a particularly strong field. Aston Martin V12 Vantage, Audi R8 V10, Audi TT RS coupe/roadster, BMW Z4, Ferrari California, Jaguar XFR, Lotus Evora, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, Nissan 370Z, Porsche 911 GT3 and Zuffenhausen's Boxster/Cayman.
If you are a meticulous reader you’ll notice there are eleven WCOTY Performance Car contenders — allegedly because the first round of voting produced a tie. We think the committee should get its house in order, but no matter…
Pretty and clean car of the year awards too
The WCOTY process germinates two other awards too: World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year, as voted on by a different (allegedly specialist) panels.
The 2010 WCOTY Green Car finalists include the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Honda Insight, Merc’s S400 hybrid, the Toyota Prius (as always) and VW's BlueMotion family (Golf, Passat, Polo).
When it comes to the WCOTY Design award there are four contenders. The Citroën C3 Picasso (most deserving in our estimation), Kia’s funky Soul and the Toyota Prius (again?). Pandering to America’s wounded pride the Camaro also makes the design shortlist…
Pick your winner(s)
In the first week of March at the Geneva auto show a top-three shortlist of each category will be announced, before the big winners are tabled at the New York auto show on 1 April.
Our winners from the esteemed jurors’ rather odd list of candidates? Car of the year: Porsche Panamera. Performance car of the year: Audi R8 V10. World Green Car: Honda Insight. WCOTY Design: Citroën C3 Picasso.
Toyota’s Prius with three nominations despite its pending recall? Makes one wonder about the WCOTY’s credibility coefficient, doesn’t it?
