Korea sets its sights on World Car awards

Monday, 19 November 2018

Top Car of 2018: Volkswagen Polo

We take pride in thinking very locally for the Stuff Motoring Top Cars awards - picking cars that suit Kiwi conditions and driving styles. This year's winner is the Volkswagen Polo.

But there's one annual automotive award that's very global in nature: World Car of the Year, the supreme price of the World Car Awards (WCA).

WCA celebrates its 15th year in 2018, with a mission statement to 'reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognise and reward automotive excellence on an international scale'.

Korea is growing in stature, but yet to claim a WCOTY trophy of any kind. Could the Genesis G70 be the one?

The organisers also say WCA is 'intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programmes'.

**READ MORE:

Not a car from an episode of Thunderbirds, but the new Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid.

* Stuff Motoring's Top Car of 2018

* Five reigning Cars of the Year

Sole entry for Mercedes-Benz is the A-class hatchback.

* Hyundai awarded Top Car Brand**

WCA begins late in the year and works towards a presentation early the next.

Audi has won more WCOTY trophies than any other brand. New Q3 is up for the big prize this year.

The 2019 award was launched at the Paris Motor Show in September; from there, the jurors have embarked on a programme called The Road to World Car - including evaluation drives - that will be completed when the winners are revealed at the New York Auto show in April next year.

WCA is an independent not-for-profit organisation that comprises 83 specialist motoring journalists from around the world.

Britain's Jaguar leads 'best of the rest' in WCOTY. This is the E-Pace SUV.

It chooses winners in six categories: the overall World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, World Green Car, World Urban Car and World Car Design.

Cars eligible for the 2019 grand prize include models from Acura (RDX), Audi (e-tron, A1, A6 and Q3), BMW (3-series, i8 roadster, X2), Cadillac (XT4), Citroen (C5 Aircross), Dacia (Duster), Ford (Focus), Genesis (G70), Honda (Clarity), Hyundai (AH2, Santa Fe and Nexo), Infiniti (QX50), Jaguar (E-Pace and I-Pace), Jeep (Cherokee and Wrangler), Kia (Ceed, Niro EV and Soul), Lexus (ES and UX), Mercedes-Benz (A-class), Nissan (Altima and Kicks), Peugeot (508), Seat (Arona), Subaru (Forester), Suzuki (Jimny), Toyota (Avalon, Corolla and RAV4) and Volvo (S60/V60 and XC40).

Wild card? Budget Dacia Duster from Romania is a contender for 2019.

Germany has traditionally dominated WCA, winning more than half of the trophies; Audi has more than any other brand.

But that could be changing, says WCA co-chairman Mike Rutherford: 'Germany, Japan and South Korea are currently dominating the global automotive stage.

'In terms of building all-new cars for the world, just their local markets, these are by far the most prolific auto makers of the moment.'

Rutherford notes that, incredibly, Korea hasn't one a single WCA trophy to date. He says it came 'tantalisingly close' with the Kia Stinger for 2018 (the eventual winner was the Volvo XC60) and have a real chance in 2019, with seven individual entries for the big prize.

Korea also has two out of the six entries for Performance, and opportunities in Urban, Green and Design.

'After Germany, Japan and South Korea, the best of the rest are Britain and the USA,' says Rutherford. 'Then come France, Spain and Sweden.

'Finally, it's great to see the underdog that is Romania in with a shout thanks to its humble Dacia Duster. Dismiss the ridiculously inexpensive, yet surprisingly capable SUV at your peril.'

The next step for WCOTY 2019 is its annual LA Test Drive, which takes place around the Los Angeles Auto Show from November 24-28.

PAST WINNERS OF WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR

Volvo XC60 (2018)

Jaguar F-Pace (2017)

Mazda MX-5 (2016)

Mercedes-Benz C-class (2015)

Audi A3 (2014)

Volkswagen Golf Mk7 (2013)

Volkswagen Up! (2012)

Nissan Leaf (2011)

Volkswagen Polo (2010)

Volkswagen Golf Mk6 (2009)

Mazda2 (2008)

Lexus LS 460 (2007)

BMW 3-series (2006)

Audi A6 (2005)