At a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show at the Geneva International Motor Show, the top three finalists for the World Car of the Year were announced recently.
The winners will be declared at a press conference at the New York international Auto Show on Thursday, April 21, 2011.
From an initial entry list of thirty-nine (39) new vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten finalists, the top three contenders for the overall 2011 World Car of the Year title are, in alphabetical order:
- Audi A8
- BMW 5 Series
- Nissan LEAF
To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates must become available for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning January 1, 2010 and ending May 30, 2011.
Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of sixty-six (66) top-level automotive journalists from twenty-four (24) countries around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work. All hold significant stature within their own regions and countries.
The international accounting firm KPMG then tabulated the jurors’ ballots and then signed off on the top three finalists.
Previous World Car of the Year winners were the Volkswagen Polo in 2010, the Volkswagen Golf in 2009, the Mazda2 / Mazda Demio in 2008, the Lexus LS460 in 2007, the BMW 3-Series in 2006, and the Audi A6 in 2005.
The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.
The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. Peter Lyon (Japan) and Matt Davis (Italy) are the co-chairs; John McCormick (USA), Jens Meiners (Germany) and Gerry Malloy (Canada) are the directors. There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise.
Visit the World Car Awards website, www.wcoty.com to learn more about the awards.
