…Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, and Land Rover also Honoured
Volkswagen’s Electric Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), Volkswagen ID.4 SUV, has been crowned World Car of the Year.
The winner was chosen from an initial entry list of 24 cars from all over the world. That was eventually whittled down to three: the ID.4, Toyota Yaris and the Honda e (also an electric car).
The ID.4 victory reflects the inexorable increase in the production and purchase of electric cars as world sentiment turns against fossil-fuelled vehicles.
The Volkswagen electric SUV came out on top after voting by 93 international journalists – including the Irish Independent’s Motoring Editor – from 28 countries. The votes were tabulated by KPMG.
This is the fifth World Car of the Year (WCOTY) win for Volkswagen. Previous winners were the Golf, in 2013, Up! in 2012, Polo in 2010 and the Golf Mark VI in 2009.
Reacting, VW passenger cars CEO Ralf Brandstätter described the award as a honour to a great idea and a great team.
He said: “We are particularly pleased about our ID.4 being named World Car of the Year. Not only because it is one of the most important car awards in the world, but also because the jury honored a great idea and a great team. The first ID. model for the key markets of Europe, China and the U.S. carries our electric offensive around the world.”
Voting for several other award categories were announced too. The Mercedes S-Class flagship took the World Luxury Car of the Year gong.
This is the fourth World Luxury Car win for Mercedes and the second time that the S-Class has won the title in the awards’ 17-year-history.
The Porsche 911 Turbo was chosen as the World Performance Car of the year – the seventh time Porsche has taken this particular gong.
The charming little Honda e was voted World Urban Car of the Year. It was chosen from an initial entry list of seven, then a shortlist of three finalists; the Honda Jazz/Fit and the Toyota Yaris being the other two.
And whoever would have thought that a Land Rover carrying the Defender name – one steeped in the tradition of rugged looks and no-nonsense nature – would win the World Car Design of the Year? Well, that is exactly what the radical new version has just done. This is the sixth World Car Design of the Year win for Jaguar Land Rover.
Now in their 17th year, the annual World Car Awards are the number one awards programme in the world for the eighth consecutive year based on Cision Insight’s 2020 media report.
And the beat goes on – the 2022 awards season will officially begin at the New York International Auto Show on August 19 next.
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