NEW YORK, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- From an initial entry list of twenty- eight (28) new vehicles from all over the world, a short list of ten finalists for the third annual World Car of the Year (WCOTY) awards were announced by the international accounting firm KPMG. The winners of the 2007 WCOTY will be unveiled during Press Preview at the upcoming New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) on Thursday, April 5, 2007.
Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 45 top-level automotive journalists from around the world. To be eligible, the car must be in production, and sold in at least five countries on two continents.
World Car - Top Ten Finalists:
The following Top Ten World Car finalists are listed below in alphabetical
order:
Audi Q7 Jaguar XK
Audi TTLexusLS 460
Citroen C4 Picasso Mercedes CL
Citroen C6 MINI
Fiat Grande Punto Suzuki SX4 / Fiat Sedici
World Performance Car - Top Ten Finalists:
In addition, the following Top Ten World Performance Car finalists are:
Audi RS4 Jaguar XKR
Audi S6Mazda 3 MPS / Mazdaspeed3
BMW 335i Porsche 911 GT3
BMW M / Z4 M Coupe/Roadster Porsche 911 Turbo
Ferrari 599 GTB Renault Clio Renault Sport
The jurors' next steps are to re-evaluate the "Top Ten" cars in the above categories in preparation for a final round of voting on March 1st. Jury members will specifically rate each vehicle in terms of overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance. KPMG will tabulate the vote results and the top three finalists will be announced no later than Thursday, March 8th, 2007
There are no Top Ten finalists for World Green Car or for World Design of the Year. Instead, jurors will vote in those categories on March 1st. The Top Three finalists in all awards categories will then be announced on Thursday, March 8th.
The 2007 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 titles will all be declared on Thursday, April 5, 2007 during a press conference to be held at the New York International Auto Show.
"Announcing the annual World Car of the Year awards at the New York show is a fitting finale to the auto show season that begins each fall with either the Paris or Frankfurt motor shows," said Gerry Malloy, co-chair, WCOTY. "Next, it's on to Tokyo in alternating years. The Detroit show takes center stage in January while Geneva claims the spotlight in March. Finally, in April, the season reaches its exciting climax at the New York International Auto Show."
About World Car of the Year
The World Car of the Year Awards program is initiated by, organized by, and conducted by, automotive journalists from around the globe. A non-profit association guided by a steering committee of journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America administers the awards program. WCOTY is intended to complement, not compete with, existing COTY awards by raising consumer awareness of regional Car of the Year award programs as well as the World Car of the Year.
About New York International Auto Show
Kicking off the springtime selling season, the 2007 New York International Auto Show will feature an impressive collection of cutting-edge design and remarkable innovation. More than four floors of displays from the world's automakers will feature the newest vehicles and futuristic concept cars. More than 1,000 cars and trucks will be on display at the Javits Center, filling 846,000 square feet of exhibit space. In addition, dozens of World and North American vehicle debuts are expected at the Show. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.
Important Auto Show Dates
Press Preview April 4 & 5
Public Sneak Preview April 6
Public Show Dates April 6 - 15