THE ROAD TO WORLD CAR CONTINUES…THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS! WORLD CAR AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The journey on The Road to the World Car continues with today's announcement of the finalists in all five award categories.

This release kicks off the countdown for the 2015 World Car Awards (the WCAs) prize-giving ceremony to be hosted by the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), Bridgestone Corporation and Autoneum on Thursday, April 2, 2015. Winners of the 2015 World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year will all be declared at this time.

A jury of 75 distinguished international automotive journalists selected the following finalists in the World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car and World Performance Car categories by secret ballot, based on their experience with each candidate as part of their professional work. For more details about our jurors, and their outlets please visit our web site: www.wcoty.com and click < Jurors.

The international accounting firm KPMG tabulated the jurors' ballots and announced the finalists on the evening of February 9.

The 2015 World Car of the Year (WCOTY) will be selected from the following ten finalists listed in alphabetical order:

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
Citroën C4 Cactus
Ford Mustang
Hyundai Genesis
Jeep Renegade
Mazda2
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
MINI 5 door / MINI 4 door
Nissan Qashqai
Volkswagen Passat

The 2015 World Luxury Car will be chosen from one of these top ten finalists:
BMW i8
BMW X6
Cadillac ATS Coupe
Cadillac Escalade / ESV
Kia K900
Lexus NX
Lexus RC
Lincoln MKC
Mercedes-Benz S Coupe
Range Rover Autobiography Black LWB

The 2015 World Performance Car top ten finalists are:
Audi S1
Audi S3
Audi TT / TTS
Bentley Continental GT Speed
BMW M4 Coupe / M3 Sedan
Corvette Z06
Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat
Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupe
Lexus RC-F
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

The 2015 World Green Car category is handled differently. Five experts in "green" technology were appointed by the World Car Awards Steering Committee to extensively review all documentation and specs associated with each candidate on the list of nominees. The experts then create a short-list of finalists for review by the 75 jurors in their second round of voting this month. The finalists for 2015 are:

BMW i8
Hyundai x35 / Tucson Fuel Cell
Kia Soul EV
Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine
Volkswagen Golf GTE

The five experts on the advisory panel are in alphabetical order: Phil Berg (USA - PopularMechanics.com); Richard Bremner (UK - Autocar magazine), Claus-Peter Koeth (Germany - automobil-industrie.de); Yumi Kawabata (Japan - environmental journalist) and John Voelcker (USA - GreenCarReports.com).

Cars eligible for the 2015 World Car Design of the Year award are taken from the list of World Car candidates or may be included as a stand-alone entry provided the vehicle is available in quantities of at least 10 in one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2014 and ending May 31, 2015. Candidates may be pre-production or all-new production.

Again, a design panel consisting of five highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each candidate, then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors. The design experts are: Masatsugu Arimoto (Japan – Freelance design journalist); Silvia Baruffaldi (Italy – Auto & Design magazine); Gernot Bracht (Germany – Pforzheim Design School); Sam Livingstone (UK - Car Design Research and Royal College of Art) and Tom Matano (USA - School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco).

The five finalists chosen for the jurors are:

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
Citroën C4 Cactus
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Porsche Macan
Volvo XC90

The Road to the World Car began in Paris on October 2, followed by a stop in Los Angeles for a test-drive of the North American contenders in November, and continues with the finalists' announcement. The next stop is at the Geneva International Auto Show on Tuesday, March 3 when the top three finalists in all categories will be announced. The journey ends at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, April 2nd, 2015 when all winners are declared.

About World Car Awards

The World Car Awards (WCA) are more than just an awards programme. The WCA's judging panel is made up of 75 prominent automotive journalists from around the world that form a global community of experts. The jurors ensure the integrity and credibility of the awards but also serve as an important resource for the industry with a focus on excellence and innovation on a global scale.

For additional information please visit our web site (www.wcoty.com)

About PRIME Research

PRIME Research, a global leader in strategic communication research and consultancy is once again the World Car Awards' research partner. On an annual basis, PRIME Research and the World Car Awards are co-presenting a Global Trends Report at the New York International Auto Show each spring. PRIME Research is a well-trusted research partner for the automotive industry with a broad range of automotive clients. Its full picture approach, which provides strategic benchmark information and SWOT analyses on over 150 brands and over 10,000 different automobile models, sets the standard in automotive media research.

About Autoneum

Autoneum is a Swiss based global leader in vehicle acoustics and thermal management systems. The company's automotive expertise and the innovative way it sets trends and meets today's requirements for vehicle comfort, safety, efficiency and sustainability makes Autoneum the ideal presenting partner. Autoneum and World Car Awards are united by their aspiration to promote innovation in the automotive industry and thus shape the future of mobility.

About the New York International Auto Show

Owned and operated by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the New York Auto Show is an awesome combination of new ideas, technological innovation, exceptional concept cars and nearly 1,000 of the latest new cars and trucks. Over one million visitors are expected to visit the show this year to see what is truly possible from the automotive industry.

Important 2015 New York Auto Show Dates

Press Preview, April 1 & April 2 (credentials required)
Public Sneak Preview, Friday, April 3
Public Show Dates, Friday, April 3 – Sunday, April 12

WORLD CAR AWARDS MEDIA CONTACTS:

Mike Rutherford
Director & Juror, World Car Awards
E: mikerutherforduk@gmail.com
T: 07832 354981

Beth Rhind
Executive Manager, World Car Awards
E: beth@wcoty.com
T: 1 705 924 3444