The countdown to the World Car Awards continues as the organization has revealed this year’s finalists in six different categories. While the winners won’t be announced until next month, BMW and Lucid have dominated the competition.
Without further ado, the finalists for 2023 World Car of the Year are the BMW X1 / iX1, Hyundai Ioniq 6, and Kia Niro. This is an interesting development as the Ioniq 6 is a dedicated BEV, while the X1 and Niro offer an electric powertrain.
It remains unclear which model will get the final nod, but they beat out the Alfa Romeo Tonale, BMW 2-Series Coupe, and Mercedes C-Class. They also bested the Nissan Ariya and Z – among others.
Driven: The 2023 BMW X1 Is A Bigger, Better Take On Entry-Level Luxury
The Ioniq 6 is also up for the title of World Electric Vehicle. However, it faces pricey competitors including the BMW i7 and Lucid Air. The former is very good, while the latter offers an EPA range of up to 516 miles (830 km).
The BMW i7 / 7-Series and Lucid Air are also competing to become World Luxury Car of the Year. They’ll be battling the Genesis G90, but BMW might have a cakewalk as the 760i xDrive is phenomenal.
The finalists for World Performance Car are a bit unusual as the Nissan Z is the only coupe. It will square off against the Toyota GR Corolla and the electric Kia EV6 GT. While some people might dismiss the latter, they shouldn’t as it packs 576 hp (430 kW / 584 PS) and 545 lb-ft (738 Nm) of torque.
World Urban Car contenders include the Citroen C3, ORA Funky Cat / Haomao, and Volkswagen Taigo / Nivus, while the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Land Rover Range Rover, and Lucid Air are up for World Car Design of the Year.
The winners will be announced at the New York Auto Show on April 5th but, in the meantime, let us know who you think should win.
