2018 World Car of the Year winners: the world’s best!

All the 2018 winners of the world’s biggest automotive awards

The world’s best new cars have been honoured once again at the New York International Auto Show. More than 80 judges in 20 countries have spent the past six months assessing and analysing cars, for this moment – the reveal of the finest new cars to be launched over the past year.

What are the World Car Awards? The biggest car awards prizes in the world, that’s what. Presented annually, they recognise the cars that tick all the boxes across the planet, working as well in China and India as they do in Europe and North America.

For the first time, this year’s awards were presented as the curtain-raiser for the New York show: the great and the good of the car industry thus had no excuse not to be there. In front a packed room full of automotive execs, judges thus announced the first of the five World Car Awards prizes, that for the 2018 World Car Design of the Year.

2018 World Car Design winner: Range Rover Velar

Just look at it. Hard to see how the Range Rover Velar couldn’t win this, isn’t it? It’s a landmark design and a bona fide modern classic.

2018 World Car Design runner-up: Lexus LC 500

2018 World Car Design runner-up: Volvo XC60

2018 World Green Car winner: Nissan Leaf

The previous Nissan Leaf was the 2011 World Car of the Year. This new one hasn’t managed to repeat that honour, but it has taken the consolation prize of winning the 2018 World Green Car of the Year. Fully deserved, too.

2018 World Green Car runner-up: BMW 530e iPerformance

2018 World Green Car runner-up: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

2018 World Performance car winner: BMW M5

After its somewhat disappointing predecessor, BMW needed the new M5 to be good. It is – very good indeed, a true return to form. So much so, it’s taken the 2018 World Performance Car award with a tyre-smoking, V8 roar.

2018 World Performance car runner-up: Honda Civic Type R

2018 World Performance car runner-up: Lexus LC 500

2018 World Luxury Car winner: Audi A8

Audi set out to take the luxury limo to the next level with the latest A8. It’s the world’s first car to offer Level 3 autonomy – and it’s a formidably accomplished powerhouse that’s scooped the 2018 World Luxury Car gong.

2018 World Luxury Car runner-up: Porsche Cayenne

2018 World Luxury Car runner-up: Porsche Panamera

2018 World Urban Car winner: Volkswagen Polo

The previous Volkswagen Polo won World Car of the Year in 2010. This all-new one shows Volkswagen is at the top of its game. It’s won the World Urban Car prize at a canter – and as designer Klaus Bischoff, who accepted the prize, stated, this award will only help add yet more to the 17.5 million running sales total for it…

2018 World Urban Car runner-up: Ford Fiesta

2018 World Urban Car runner-up: Suzuki Swift

2018 World Car of the Year winner: Volvo XC60

Volvo’s done it again! Just weeks ago, the Volvo XC40 won the European Car of the Year prize. Now the Swedish firm has scooped the big one, taking the World Car of the Year prize for the XC60. It’s another incredible achievement for a company that’s really on a roll.

2018 World Car of the Year runner-up: Mazda CX-5

2018 World Car of the Year runner-up: Range Rover Velar

And let’s not forget, Volvo Cars president and CEO Hakan Samuelsson was awarded a new honour from the World Car Awards jurors, picking up the inaugural World Car Person of the Year at the Geneva Motor Show. Here in New York, with the XC60’s victory in 2018 World Car of the Year, he’s added yet another big prize to the firm’s haul.

Volvo, you’re going to need a bigger trophy room!

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Richard Aucock
Richard Aucockhttps://www.richardaucock.co.uk/
Richard is director at Motoring Research. He has been with us since 2001, and has been a motoring journalist even longer. He won the IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future Award in 1996 and the acclaimed Sir William Lyons Award in 1998. Both awards are run by the Guild of Motoring Writers and Richard is currently vice chair of the world's largest organisation for automotive media professionals. Richard is also a juror and Steering Committee director for World Car Awards and the UK juror for the AUTOBEST awards.

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