The World Car Awards announced at the New York Auto Show!
Much of the Automotive World waits for the results, which are released annually at the New York Auto Show, for the World Car Awards. Which is fine. Except what has been increasingly interesting and is more true now that ever is the run up to this event. Because it is the process that is showing how the car world and the car consuming public are changing. When the World Car Awards body releases the names of the final 3 finalists and it calls them the top three, it is serious. It tells you what cars are competing against each other at the very top, and the results often surprise.
The World Performance car award was won by the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS. But it was a sportscar, and an enthusiast one as opposed to a more power-oriented one, going against two four-doors which were the BMW M5 and the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. And this award had the winner come away by the widest margin and the highest overall score of any winner, 819 points whereas all others for the whole set of awards don’t break the 800 barrier.
Another wide margin was the win by the adorable Volkswagen ID. Buzz for World Car Design of the Year, which went up against two other completely different vehicles, the Toyota Land Cruiser and the Kia EV3. the Kia EV3 also took the overall World Car of the Year Award inching out the BMW X3 and the Hyundai Inster/Casper Electric.
That Hyundai Inster/Casper Electric though won the World Electric Vehicle award against the Kia EV3 actually, so the parameters for choosing are clearly different. The third vehicle for the electric arena was actual the Porsche Macan! So look at the last two awards we mentioned, both had much higher priced luxury vehicles, from Porsche and from BMW, in the final best three. Now also keep in mind that for these awards, value does play a key role.
The Hyundai Inster/Casper Electric was just barely inched out of another win, that of the World Urban Car award. It gave away just three points to the BYD Seagull/Dolphin Mini. the other finalist of the three? A luxury marque again, the Mini Cooper Electric.
Look at the World Luxury Car Award. Very tight race, all three finalists finished with a range of eight points. All three very different vehicles as well. The Volvo EX90 won the luxury award with the Porsche Macan and the Porsche Panamera very close behind. Now look and see that the Macan is a whole size difference from the other two. And look at the fact that the Volvo EX90 is a large SUV and the Porsche Panamera is a large (they call it a limousine but it really handles) sedan.
Going over the winners is always fun, and always a big deal. But it is what happens beforehand that is really telling us where the industry and the consumer are headed.
