World Car Of The Year Award Finalists Announced

Celebrating its fifth annual awards program, the World Car of the Year, held in conjunction with the New York International Auto Show, is pleased to announce this year's top ten finalists.

The 2009 World Car finalists are:

Audi A4 / Avant
BMW 7 Series
Citroen C5 Sedan / C5 Tourer
Fiat 500
Ford Fiesta
Honda Fit / Jazz
Jaguar XF
Mazda Atenza / Mazda6
Nissan GT-R
Toyota iQ
Volkswagen Golf VI

Vehicles are selected and voted on by a volunteer jury of close to 50 distinguished automotive journalists representing many of the world's most renowned automotive outlets. All jurors hold significant stature with their own regions and countries, which include: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States.

The jurors' next step is narrowing the top ten field to the top three, which will be announced March 9. Today's top ten announcement includes 11 vehicles because two of the vehicles are tied for a spot.

The overall 2009 World Car of the Year as well as the winners of the World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will be declared on April 9, 2009 during a press conference at the New York International Auto Show.

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downtoearth - 1/27/2009 12:50:22 PM

+2 Boost

Excellent suggestion, BimmerMike46. Journalists are often useless lamers who don't understand a damned thing about the car they test and can only write about its "steering feel", fit'n'finish and copy/paste some brochures when it comes explaining technology. Obviously, they never analyze in details how it works in various operating conditions since they're to lame to do so.

Htay7500 - 1/27/2009 2:10:46 PM

+8 Boost

Your comment is trash.

veyron1001 - 1/27/2009 6:51:00 PM

0 Boost

Since nothing new has not come out of Detroit since for a little more than 10 years how would you expect anything from America on that list? Dont even count the Fiesta as American as its completely the opposite of what Ford NA would ever do unless its a last resort.

sector - 1/27/2009 1:24:15 PM

-3 Boost

7series?

that'll probably make the "worst" list once the quality/dependability studies are in

91z4me - 1/27/2009 1:43:25 PM

-1 Boost

The Fiat 500 is getting great reviews so I expect it to be high on the list, even though I will likely never see one (I live in the midwest US). Also the Toyota iQ should be pretty high. It seems to be a well engineered car with lots of new ideas.

Willis - 1/27/2009 5:10:38 PM

+1 Boost

I, too, would go for the Citroen C5. Last month I was in Norhtern France on business and my French colleague had the estate version in which we drove to Brussels in Belgium. What an incredible car the C5 is! The interior made a very high quality impression on me, the ride was simply an A+ (great comfort, splendid!) and the car was also very quiet despite being a diesel (also very economical). A great car and spacious as well. It would do extremely well in the US if it was directly compared to the Accord, Sonata and especially the Camry. Not sure about the reliability record of Citroen lately but the C5 was truly an impressive car. Well-deserving of being a contender on that list.

RSonly - 2/14/2009 3:26:08 PM

+1 Boost

I agree with you for C5 Design in and out, I own the tourer for a few month now, I can say it is one of the most confortable cars I've been in (compared to Lexus, Merc & BMW), but I have to disagree for the handling !!
For a Car weighing above 1600Kg and 13cm short of 5 meters... Steering is sharp, it has no roll, (sport or standard setting on the Hydractive suspension) I know what I'm Talking about, (I own 2 sports cars that i drive daily,one of them is a Porsche 911 (Sharpest steering...)

Anthony - 1/27/2009 4:40:33 PM

0 Boost

The Jag, the Audi or the Nissan. From that list, these are the game-changers of the industry.

BMWGino - 1/30/2009 10:36:41 PM

-2 Boost

BMW 7 series will win hands down when compared to any Lexus, it's because of the magic feel and what my fashion mag says.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/27/2009 11:23:10 PM

+2 Boost

The Fiesta will probably win. It's a fantastic design and is supposed to be very fun to drive.

A4 is too bland. It's not really a major leap forward, except for the S4.

XF is just... meh. Not good enough.

GT-R is amazing but not really a car that deserves to win because it's a supercar. This should be a car that many people can afford/would want to own (yes I know a lot of people want the GT-R but I'm talking about a car for the family).

downtoearth - 1/29/2009 8:48:22 AM

+1 Boost

At last I can agree with you. However, I would not vote for the Fiesta, there's nothing special this car offers except the looks. I think cars that really do deserve the title are either Honda Jazz/Fit (great ratio of space and practicality to the price and it's basically a very decent car) o the new VW Golf. However boring and emotionally flat it is, it offers a winning combination of small turbocharged/twincharged frugal, relatively clean petrol engines having driver-friendly power curve with a double clutch SEVEN speed automatic gearbox. No car in the segment offers such technology. It also turned out the Golf drives very well, sound insulation is good, so is the build quality, so is the safety. And yet, Volkswagen prices the car very competitively, unlike previous Golf generations which were inherently more pricey than competitors which simply wiped out any advantage they offered.

Type707 - 1/28/2009 12:09:37 AM

0 Boost

Damn...porsche can't get into the list? Damn Porsche defeated by Nissans Godzilla again.

Jordanski - 1/28/2009 4:25:54 AM

0 Boost

bahahah... sad eh?

Jordanski - 1/30/2009 12:50:18 AM

+1 Boost

I'd rather sign a 72 month lease on a Kia Rondo than have to ever be caught dead within 6 ft. of a Corvette ZR1. PORSCHE 911 FTW!

_43LE - 1/31/2009 10:22:11 AM

+2 Boost

Wow, Crappy's racist and also homophobic...what a surprise...

PerformanceGuy - 1/30/2009 1:18:27 PM

0 Boost

Picking from that list, I would think the GT-R should win.