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2025 World Car Finals Powered By Brembo: Top Finalists Revealed Ahead Of April Ceremony
The 2025 World Car Finals, powered by Brembo, has kicked off with the announcement of the top finalists in six categories. The winners will be revealed on April 16th at the New York International Auto Show. A jury of 96 automotive journalists from 30 countries selected these finalists through a secret ballot, evaluating each eligible vehicle.
The World Car of the Year (WCOTY) will be chosen from ten finalists. These include Audi A5/S5, BMW X3, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Inster/Casper Electric, Kia EV3, Mini Cooper Electric, Suzuki Swift, Toyota Camry, Toyota Land Cruiser/Land Cruiser 250, and Volkswagen Tiguan/Tayron. This selection was made from an initial list of 52 contenders.
In the World Electric Vehicle category, five vehicles have been shortlisted: Hyundai Inster/Casper Electric, Kia EV3, Porsche Macan Electric, Volkswagen ID. Buzz, and Volvo EX90. This year saw 31 vehicles competing in this category.
The World Luxury Car category features five finalists: Lexus GX, Porsche Macan, Porsche Panamera, Volkswagen ID. Buzz, and Volvo EX90. Ten cars were considered for this category. Meanwhile, the World Performance Car category had 17 competitors. The top five are Bentley Continental GT Speed, BMW M5, Ford Mustang, Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT.
For urban car enthusiasts, the World Urban Car category includes BYD Seagull/Dolphin Mini Hyundai Inster/Casper Electric Mini Cooper Mini Cooper Electric Suzuki Swift among its top five finalists. Twelve candidates vied for this title.
Design Excellence
All vehicles in these categories are eligible for the World Car Design of the Year award. A panel of design experts reviewed each candidate to create a shortlist for jurors' final vote. The experts included Anja Bracht from Germany's Pforzheim University and Tom Matano from the USA's Academy of Art University.
The design panel selected Baojun Yunduo/Cloud/MG Windsor EV Kia EV3 Mini Cooper Toyota Land Cruiser Volkswagen ID. Buzz as finalists for their innovative designs.
Upcoming Announcements
The Top Three in the World finalists will be announced virtually on March 4th via World Car TV. Winners across all categories will be revealed live at the New York International Auto Show on April 16th. This event marks two decades of partnership between the awards and the show.
Mark Schienberg of NYIAS remarked on celebrating both the auto show's anniversary and the World Car Awards winners: "Receiving a World Car Award is a major victory." He congratulated all involved in more than two decades of excellence.
Acknowledging Partners
The Road to the World Car Awards is an annual journey where jurors test-drive eligible vehicles worldwide. Their experiences are shared virtually on World Car TV. The awards program relies on support from partners like AITASTIC Research & Consult and KPMG.
Brembo CEO Daniele Schillaci praised the alignment between Brembo's values and those of the awards: "Your achievement is evidence of forward-thinking vision." He extended best wishes to all participants awaiting results.
The New York International Auto Show is North America's largest-attended auto show featuring nearly 1,000 new cars and trucks each spring in Manhattan. Public show dates run from April 18-27 after press previews on April 16-17.
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