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2019 World Car of the Year: and the Finalists are...

Jaguar I-PACE | Photo: Jaguar
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Daniel Rufiange
Jaguar and Audi, with their I-PACE and e-tron models, will be ones to watch

Each year, vehicles are crowned as the best of their categories as part of the World Car of the Year Awards. The big winners will be announced in New York next month, but first, at the Geneva Motor Show, we learned the identities of the three finalists in each of the six categories that make up the Awards.

A total of 86 automotive journalists from 18 countries make up the jury for the World Car of the Year Awards.

Last year, the Volvo XC60 was chosen World Car of the Year. In the World Luxury Car category, top honours went to Audi's A8, while the BMW M5 and Volkswagen Polo were designated Performance Car and Urban Car of the Year for 2018. Green Car of the Year went to the Nissan LEAF, while the Range Rover Velar took the Car Design category.

Auto123 will share with you the identities of the big winners when they’re announced at the New York International Auto Show in early April.

Here are the 2019 finalists, by category. Each is accompanied by a very brief description.

World Car of the Year

a) Audi e-tron: Its debut has been delayed a few times, but the Audi e-tron is finally on our doorstep. This all-electric vehicle promises, in its own way, to make history.

Audi e-tron
Audi e-tron | Photo: Audi

b) Jaguar I-PACE: Remarkably, in 2019 two of the three finalists in the ultimate category of these awards are electric. What else can we add, other than stating the obvious, which is that the design of the I-PACE is absolutely spectacular?

Jaguar I-PACE
Jaguar I-PACE | Photo: Jaguar

c) Volvo S60/V60: The S60 and its V60 wagon version are the latest beneficiaries of Volvo’s recent overhaul of its lineup. Here’s hoping the company manages to overcome those reliability issues it is dogged by...

Volvo S60
Volvo S60 | Photo: D.Boshouwers
Daniel Rufiange
Daniel Rufiange
Automotive expert
  • Over 17 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 75 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 250 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists