Contenders for the 2016 World Car of the Year Awards have been revealed at the Geneva Motor Show. Once again, it looks like we could be in for a closely-fought battle to determine the recipients of this years ‘best car in the world’ gongs.
There are five categories that have now been reduced to just three finalists each, with awards for overall, design, luxury, green and performance all up for grabs.If you’d like to see the full shortlist, I’ve even listed them all for you at the bottom of this blog post, so don’t say we don’t treat you here.
For the purpose of this post, let’s hone in on the main contenders for the big one, the World Car of the Year award. Read on and you may find that the same car you drive to work, could even be up for an award:
Audi A4
Possibly one of the most recognisable cars on British roads, the Audi A4 radiates sheer class. There’s something special about the A4 – this is a car that will never be ‘in your face’, it doesn’t scream “LOOK AT ME!”
The A4 is a fantastic car that is perfect for every occasion and can mark an impression the moment you draw up in this beauty. However, German cars aren’t known for their reliability, so if there’s anything that could let the Audi down, it’ll be this.
Mazda MX-5
This iconic car from Mazda has always been known for driving thrills on a budget and that’s certain to be a major plus for the MX-5. As the world’s best-selling two-seater and 25 years of success, it’s hard to bet against the Mazda to take the grand prize. The latest generation MX-5s has a design we can only describe as ‘sharp’ and feel fantastic to drive. Being a two-seater may put it at a disadvantage within the overall category, but for all we know the voting panel may prefer this!
Mercedes-Benz GLC
After winning with this same award with the C-Class last year, Mercedes-Benz will be looking for a repeat performance from the GLC. Personally, I’ll always favour Mercedes over anything else as the general design suits my personality. The GLC is the most experience of the three finalists if you’re after a low-end version, so if I can find anything that’ll stop this car from winning, I guess that could be it.
The winners are to be decided by a judging panel made up of 73 international journalists, six of these are from this fine island. The awards will be crowned on the 24th March, who do you think will take the gong?
The Finalists
World Car of the Year –
• Audi A4
• Mazda MX-5
• Mercedes-Benz GLC
Shortlisted nominees: BMW X1, Hyundai Tucson, Jaguar XE, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Mazda CX-3, Skoda Superb, Toyota Prius
2015 winner: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
World Luxury Car of the Year –
• Audi Q7
• BMW 7 Series
• Volvo XC90
Shortlisted: Jaguar XF, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe
2015 winner: Mercedes-Benz S Coupe
World Green Car of the Year –
• Chevrolet Volt
• Toyota Mirai (Hydrogen Fuel Cell)
• Toyota Prius (Hybrid)
Shortlisted: BMW 330e Plug-in-hybrid, Volkswagen Passat GTE
2015 winner: BMW i8
World Performance Car of the Year –
• Audi R8 Coupe
• Honda Civic Type R
• Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupé
Shortlisted: Chevrolet Camaro, Range Rover Sport SVR
2015 winner: Mercedes-Benz AMG GT
World Car Design of the Year –
• Jaguar XE
• Mazda CX-3
• Mazda MX-5
Shortlisted: Cadillac CT6, Land Rover Discovery Sport
2015’s winner: Citroen C4 Cactus
