This year’s New York Auto Show gives plenty of reasons to keep your eyes on Baywatch mode, not Least of those being the ‘World Car’ Awards that were announced on Thursday the 17th. Audi A3, the newly introduced compact sedan from the Audi family claimed the coveted title among what was a nominee list of two dozen that dwindled to shortlisted dozen, and then to the three finalists. Mazda 3, Mazda’s amazing new version of their popular sporty compact and the BMW’s ever popular coupe in its new name had to be satisfied with the title of finalists.
2014 World Car of the Year
Audi A3
Finalists: BMW 4 Series, Mazda 3 and Audi A3
The S Class being secretly carried to its launch last year.
2014 World Luxury Car
Mercedes-Benz S Class
Finalists: Bentley Flying Spur, Range Rover Sport, and Mercedes Benz S Class
2014 World Performance Car
Porsche 911 GT3
Finalists: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Ferrari 458 Speciale and Porsche 911 GT3
2014 World Car Design of the Year
BMW i3
Finalists: Mazda3 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW i3
Even with worthy rivals like the Volkswagen XL1 here, not surprising the BMW i3 won the Green Car award but the Design award beats me!
2014 World Green Car
BMW i3
Finalists: Audi A3 Sportback g-tron, Volkswagen XL1 and BMW i3
World Car of the Year finalist BMW 4 series
Here is what the World Car Awards jurors had to say about the winning car, “It might borrow styling hints from its bigger brothers, but the A3 still offers classic, chiseled contours and even better interior trim levels. With a superb choice of engines and 4 body styles, the A3 range packs a hefty premium punch in the small luxury segment. Audi should be complimented for making this A3 ride like no other A3. All the old shimmer over rough surfaces has gone, replaced by a silky smooth ride that approaches limousine quality”.
This is Audi’s seventh win in the ten year history of the awards. The A6 won the inaugural 2005 title of World Car of the Year, which was followed by three World Performance Car titles in 2010, 2008 and 2007, and two World Car Design of the Year titles in 2008 and 2007.
Mazda 3 was launched this month in the Middle East and gets a boost as the finalist for the World Car of the Year 2014
Now into its 10th year, the World Car awards were judged by 69 eminent motoring journalists from 22 countries and advised by independent committees of experts selected from specific disciplines for categories like World Car Design of the Year or World Green Car of the Year. To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates must be for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning January 1, 2013 and ending May 31, 2014.
New Range Rover Sport was one among the final three in World Luxury Car of the Year category.
Previous World Car of the Year winners are the Volkswagen Golf, the Volkswagen Up! in 2012, the Nissan Leaf in 2011, the Volkswagen Polo in 2010, 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 rest of the award categories and their winners and finalists are given above. There is also a link here to the World Car site if you wish to get the full story.
Read more on this year’s World Car of the Year Awards www.wcoty.com/web/
