The contenders for the 2023 World Car Awards are coming into focus as the organization has revealed this year’s finalists.
In the title category of 2023 World Car of the Year, there’s a diverse group that includes everything from coupes to crossovers to EVs. Among them are the Alfa Romeo Tonale, BMW 2-Series Coupe, BMW X1 / iX1, and Honda HR-V / ZR-V. They’ll have to battle the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Kia Niro, Mazda CX-60, Mercedes C-Class, Nissan Ariya, and Nissan Z.
While there are a number of electric contenders in the main category, there’s also an award for 2023 World Electric Vehicle. Thankfully, there’s minimal overlap as finalists include the BMW i7, Genesis GV60, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Kia Niro EV, and Lucid Air.
Also: Acura, Ford And Kia Win 2023 North American Car, Truck And Utility Vehicle Of The Year Awards
The BMW 7-Series / i7 is also competing for the title of 2023 World Luxury Car. We fell in love with it recently, but the model will have to battle the Genesis G90, Land Rover Range Rover, Land Rover Range Rover Sport, and Lucid Air.
The finalists for 2023 World Performance Car are largely a no-brainer and include the BMW M4 CSL, Kia EV6 GT, Nissan Z, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and Toyota GR Corolla. Interestingly, the Honda Civic Type R and Mercedes-AMG SL didn’t make the cut.
Moving on, the 2023 World Urban Car award will go to a vehicle not offered in America. This isn’t too surprising and contenders include the Citroen C3, ORA Funky Cat / Haomao, and Volkswagen Taigo / Nivus.
World Car Design of the Year is a bit of a toss up as contenders include the Cadillac Lyriq, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Land Rover Range Rover, Lucid Air, and Nissan Z. We all have our favorites, but it’s hard not to cheer for the Ioniq 6.
Lastly, five people will be competing for the title of World Car Person of the Year. They include BYD President Wang Chuanfu, BMW research engineer Dr. Stella Clarke, and Hyundai design guru SangYup Lee. Other contenders include Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson and Toyota GR Corolla chief engineer Naoyuki Sakamoto.
The top three finalists in the six vehicle categories will be revealed next month, while the winners will be announced at the New York Auto Show in April.
