The finalists for the 2024 World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year, World Electric Vehicle, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, and World Urban Car have just been announced and some of those named may surprise you.
Starting with the World Car of the Year award, we have 10 finalists that were selected from dozens of eligible candidates. Those in the running for taking out the award are the BYD Seal, Ford Bronco, Hyundai Kona/Kona Electric, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia EV9, Mazda CX-90, Subaru Crosstrek, Toyota Prius, VW ID.7, and Volvo EX30.
To be eligible, at least 10,000 examples of each vehicle must be produced annually, they must be priced below the luxury car level in their primary markets, and must be on sale in at least two major markets on at least two separate continents between January 1, 2023, and March 30, 2024.
Among the finalists are four models sold exclusively as EVs, one offered in ICE and EV guises (the Kona), one hybrid, and four models offered exclusively with combustion engines.
Among the candidates that missed out on being named a finalist were the BYD Atto 3, Chevrolet Trax, Citroen C3 Aircross, Fisker Ocean, GMW Haval H6, Lexus LBX, MG One, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nio ET5, Peugeot 408, Seres 5, Smart #3, and the Xpeng G7.
Five vehicles have been named as finalists in the World Car Design of the Year award. These are the Ferrari Purosangue, Ford Bronco, Toyota Prius, Volvo EX30, and Zeekr X. Not that you’ll ever confuse the two, but the presence of the Purosangue and Prius among the finalists is interesting given some design cues that they share, most notably with their LED headlights
Read: These Are The Winners Of The 2023 World Car Of The Year Awards
Then we have the category-specific awards. Starting with the World Electric Vehicle, the finalists are the BMW i5, Kia EV9, Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, VW ID.7, and Volvo EX30. The World Luxury Car includes the BMW 5-Series/i5, Lexus LM, Mercedes CLE, Mercedes E-Class, and Mercedes EQE SUV.
Eligible vehicles for the World Performance Car are the BMW M2, BMW XM, Ferrari Purosangue, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid.
Rounding out the awards is the World Urban Car with finalists including the Abarth 500e, BYD Dolphin, Lexus LBX, Suzuki Fronx, and Volvo EX30.
The winners will be announced on the eve of the New York Auto Show on March 27.
