Volvo XC60, Range Rover Velar and Mazda CX-5 BATTLE for World Car of the Year

The 2018 World Car of the Year finalists have been announced at the Geneva Motor show, and it’s a showdown between the Volvo XC60, Range Rover Velar and Mazda CX-5.

The World Car of the Year will be announced on 28 March on the eve of the New York Motor Show, and now we know which cars will be battling it out for the gong.

Just three cars make the shortlist for the overall car of the year, and they are the Volvo XC60, the Range Rover velar and the Mazda CX-5.

Interestingly, there is nothing predominantly electric on offer (although the XC60 does offer a plug-in hybrid option) and nothing german, and they are all SUVs (or crossovers if you prefer).

Selected by a panel of 82 jurors from 24 countries, the WCOTY award is a big deal, and will do sales of the winner nothing but good. But which will win?

For our money it would have to the the Volvo XC60, but there’s clearly merit in both the Velar and the CX-5.

Both the XC60 and Velar are also in the running for the World Car Design of the Year, Urban car finalists include the Ford Fiesta, Suzuki Swift and VW Polo, and the Luxury category is being fought over by the Porsche Panamera, Porsche Cayenne and Audi A8.

There’s also a Green Car award – between the BMW 530e, Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and Nissan LEAF – and a Performance Car award which will go to the BMW M5, Honda Civic Type R or Lexus LC 500.

Results are in at the end of the month.