The coveted World Car of the Year Awards are back for another year. The top three finalists for each of the five categories have just been announced at the Geneva Motor Show, currently underway.
This year there will be four main categories as well as the overall World Car of the Year award, including World Performance Car of the Year, Design of the Year, Green Car of the Year, and Luxury Car of the Year.
As you might have expected, there’s a distinct trend with most of the finalists this year with a number of technically advanced and super fuel-efficient models making up the final lists. Judges, from all around the world, have narrowed down 24 vehicles to just 15.
All vehicles in the running have been on sale since between January 1, 2013, and May 31, 2014, and have been on sale in at least two continents. See below for the top three in each category.
The final winners will be announced at the New York International Auto Show on April 17, 2014.
2014 World Performance Car of the Year finalists
- Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
- Ferrari 458 Speciale
- Porsche 911 GT3
2014 World Luxury Car of the Year finalists
- Bentley Flying Spur
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Range Rover Sport
2014 World Design of the Year finalists
- BMW i3
- Mazda3
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
2014 World Green Car of the Year finalists
- Audi A3 Sportback g-tron
- BMW i3
- Volkswagen XL1
2014 World Car of the Year finalists
- Audi A3
- BMW 4 Series
- Mazda3
Judging by the standings, the panel of experts that ranked the vehicles seem quite fond of German vehicles, with a BMW appearing three times in the lists, Audi twice, and Mercedes-Benz twice. The new Mazda3 was also nominated in two categories.
Which vehicle do you think will take out the overall crown? We’re betting either the Mazda3 or the new 4 Series Bimmer.
