WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS FACTSHEET AWARD WINNERS:
2008: 2007: 2006: 2005:
WHAT ARE THE WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS ? Initially conceived and created March 2003, the awards were officially launched in January 2004.The awards are a program initiated by, organized by, and conducted by automotive journalists from all over the world. The awards are administered by a non-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of distinguished automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. The first Steering Committee was established in January 2004 in Detroit, USA. The World Car head office is based in Toronto, Canada. The awards are intended to complement, not compete with those existing national and regional COTY awards, which are inherently different in scope. There is no affiliation with, nor are the awards in any way influenced by any publication, auto show, automaker, or other commercial enterprise. CRITICAL PATH / TIMELINE: May: Nomination of new jurors June: List of eligible vehicles established by jurors. June to January: Jurors drive and evaluate eligible vehicles if they have not already done so on various press trips. January: First round of voting and Top Ten finalists announced. February / March: Final round of voting and Top Three finalists announced. March / April: World Car winners announced at the New York International Auto Show. WHO ARE THE JURY MEMBERS? A volunteer jury of close to 50 distinguished automotive journalists represents the world’s most significant automotive outlets. All 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. Jurors are appointed for one, two, or three year terms to provide continuity. Jurors must conduct regular road-tests as part of their on-going professional work. ELIGIBILITY - WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR? A new car must be available in a minimum number of markets before being considered. Specifically, the vehicle must be available for sale prior to January 1st of the award year on at least two continents. Candidates for the World Car Design of the Year are taken from the World Car eligible list. ELIGIBILITY - WORLD PERFORMANCE CAR? Eligible cars must: a. Have a specific and overt performance or sports orientation b. Be all new or substantially revised. c. Be available in quantities of at least 500 per year d. Be available for sale on atleast two continents prior to January 1st of the award year. ELIGIBILITY - WORLD GREEN CAR? The candidates must be all-new or substantially revised. Candidates need to be in production and introduced for sale in at least one major market between January 1 - December 31, 2007. OR the vehicle/technology may be a prototype or experimental vehicle with potential near-future application provided that it has been released for individual or press fleet evaluations in quantities of ten or more. One or more of the following “green” criterion are satisfied: a. Tailpipe emissions equal to or better than California SULEV or US EPA Tier 2, Bin2, or Euro V regulations, or equivalent. b. Fuel consumption equal to or lower than 5.0 L/100km (47.6 mpg US) combined (55% City + 45% Highway) or equivalent (blended fuel volume if flex-fuel). c. Use of a major advanced powerplant technology (beyond engine componentry) aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility (e.g. hybrid, fuel cell, etc.) (NOTE: Flex-fuel technologies will be considered only in cases where the vehicles are available in countries where the infrastructure for both fuels is broadly established.) HOW ARE CARS NOMINATED ? Each jury member submits a proposed list of eligible vehicles for consideration. A provisional list is circulated to manufacturers to ensure no car has been overlooked and to confirm regional availability deadlines. The final list is confirmed in June of each year. WHAT IS THE VOTING PROCESS? Jurors are provided with WCOTY Rating Forms, describing 20 separate parameters to be considered – everything from styling and quality to performance and safety. Each parameter is rated from 1 to 10, in half point increments, using a standardized Subjective Rating Scale, to promote consistency. The first round of voting establishes the Top-Ten list of eligible vehicles. The second round of voting chooses winners. Five key parameters are used on ballot: merit, value, safety & environment, significance and emotional appeal. The ballots tabulated by the international accounting firm of KPMG. SPECIALTY AWARDS: The World Car of the Year Awards are intended to reflect today’s auto industry and market trends. Accordingly, three specialty awards were added to the World Car of the Year awards line-up in 2005. The three specialty awards are: World Green Car, World Performance Car, and World Car Design of the Year. Performance, design, and environmental responsibility are all key elements in the success of a vehicle on a global scale. It is appropriate that exceptional achievement in those specific areas be honored with their own awards. A panel of international experts in the design fields is chosen to assist the jurors by developing the short lists of finalists from the array of eligible candidates in the World Car Design of the Year category. The jurors themselves determined the top three finalists in the World Performance Car and World Green Car categories. CONTACT INFO: Beth Rhind (Xenarios), Executive Manager, 1-705-924-3444, beth@wcoty.com , www.wcoty.com. |
2009 Awards: Milestones Juror List Juror Details Fact Sheet Eligible Vehicles: World Car of the Year World Car Design of the Year World Performance Car World Green Car Award Photos Voting Results Media Releases:  Press Days: April 8-9, 2009    |
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