The F-Pace is Jaguar's first utility vehicle and a finalist for the World Car of the Year.
Auto shows and new car awards tend to be joined at the hip, and as the last significant shows of this season fast approach, one of the last big trophies is getting dusted off. Make that trophies, as there will be winners in six separate categories when the winners of the World Car Awards are announced at the upcoming New York Auto Show.
Organizers have started the clock ticking by announcing finalists in each of the six categories, and Audi, among the many Volkswagen brands, has landed the largest number of nominees with products ranging from the little Q2 to the high-performance R8 Spyder. Sibling Bentley has also landed a spot in the luxury car column.
The World Car nominees underscore the challenges faced by jurors who have to sort through a mix of global products that, in some cases, may not be offered in all major markets – such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Citroen C3, neither of those brands available in North America. Chevrolet, meanwhile, abandoned the European market several years ago, though its new Bolt EV will be sold there through the Opel brand.
The 2017 nominees include not only major brands, but smaller marques, such as Aston Martin and Jaguar. Indeed, little England has a surprisingly big presence this time around, with those two marques, as well as Bentley and McLaren among the finalists. Aston and McLaren go to battle with German powerhouses Audi and Porsche in the World Performance Car category, along with Acura which is in the running with its new three-motor hybrid sports car, the NSX.
The new i3 features a bigger battery offering more range. It is a finalist for World Urban Car of the Year.
(Mercedes adding 603-hp wagon to new E-Class line-up. Click Here for the story.)
The World Car of the Year category is likely to be the hardest to handicap, considering it includes 10 finalists, while there are five in each of the other categories chosen by a global jury of 75 automotive journalists.
Here is the complete rundown on the finalists:
World Car of the Year
• Audi A5/S5 Coupe
• Audi Q2
• Audi Q5
• Fiat/Abarth 124 Spider
• Honda Civic
The Volvo S90/V90 is a finalist for the World Luxury Car of the Year award this year.
• Jaguar F-Pace
• Mazda CX-9
• Skoda Kodiaq
• Toyota C-HR
• Volkswagen Tiguan
World Urban Car of the Year
• BMW i3 (94Ah)
• Citroen C3
• Ford Ka+
• Smart Cabriolet
The new Aston Martin DB11 is a finalist for World Performance Car of the Year.
• Suzuki Ignis
World Luxury Car of the Year
• Bentley Bentayga
• BMW 5 Series
• Hyundai Genesis G90
• Mercedes E-Class
• Volvo S90/V90
World Performance Car of the Year
• Aston Martin DB11
• Audi R8 Spyder
• Honda/Acura NSX
The Chevrolet Bolt is North American Car of the Year and is a finalist for the World Green Car of the Year.
• McLaren 570S
• Porsche 718 Boxster/Cayman
World Green Car of the Year
• Chevrolet Bolt
• Honda Clarity
• Hyundai Ioniq
• Tesla Model X
• Toyota Prius Prime
World Car Design of the Year
• Audi A5/S5 Coupe
The Audi A5/S5 is a finalist for the World Car Design of the Year.
• Jaguar F-Pace
• Mazda CX-9
• Mercedes S-Class
• Toyota C-HR
(To see how VW’s latest diesel deal could be even more costly, Click Here.)