And then there were 3! Yes, the top trio of finalists in each of the 2024 World Car Awards categories have been announced. Here’s which models made it through…
The 2024 World Car Awards jury has whittled down the list of finalists in each of the competition’s 6 categories to just 3 vehicles. And we can confirm the overall winner to be announced next month will indeed be fully electric.
As a reminder, the World Car Finals (powered by Brembo) boasts a jury of over 100 judges from 29 countries, including Cars.co.za’s very own Hannes Oosthuizen. The winners will be announced at the 2024 New York International Auto Show on 27 March 2024.
So, which models – drawn from an initial list of 70 eligible vehicles across all categories – made the cut? Well, fascinatingly, all 3 finalists in the running for the overall World Car of the Year title are fully electric vehicles: the BYD Seal (aka Atto 4), the Kia EV9 and the Volvo EX30.
Meanwhile, the BMW 5 Series (including the battery-powered i5) will battle it out with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the electric Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV for the title of World Luxury Car. Munich’s premium automaker dominates the World Performance Car category, where the BMW M2 and hybrid-powered BMW XM will take on the electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.
The World Electric Vehicle class will be contested by the BMW i5, Kia EV9 and Volvo EX30 – models that all feature in other categories, too. The top 3 finalists in the running for the World Urban Car gong are the BYD Dolphin, hybrid-powered Lexus LBX and Volvo EX30.
Finally, the Ford Bronco, Ferrari Purosangue and Toyota Prius will square up for the World Car Design of the Year title. In this category, a design panel consisting of 6 “highly respected world design experts” was asked to review each candidate before establishing a shortlist of recommendations for the jurors’ final vote.
Check out the list of finalists in each of the categories below…
World Car of the Year top 3 finalists
BYD Seal/Atto 4
Kia EV9
Volvo EX30
World Luxury Car top 3 finalists
BMW 5 Series/i5
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV
World Performance Car top 3 finalists
BMW M2
BMW XM
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
World Electric Vehicle top 3 finalists
BMW i5
Kia EV9
Volvo EX30
World Urban Car top 3 finalists
BYD Dolphin
Lexus LBX
Volvo EX30
World Car Design of the Year top 3 finalists
Ford Bronco
Ferrari Purosangue
Toyota Prius
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2024 World Car finalists announced
