And The 2017 World Car Of The Year Finalists Are

The task of designating the 2017 World Car of the Year winners is well under way, with the list of models now significantly trimmed.

The decision will be made by a panel of international jurors from dozens of countries across North America, Europe and Asia, following another session of driving. As for the the finalists in each of the six categories, they've already been announced, so we should expect a fierce battle.

For 2017, World Car Awards is introducing a new award - 'World Urban Car', which is reserved for vehicles sitting between 1 and 4 meters (3.28-13.12 feet) in length. These have to meet the criteria of being not just safe, clean, quiet, affordable, flexible and comfortable, but also driver-, pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly.

In order to qualify for any of these awards, all cars have to be on sale by spring, although some of them may be unavailable in individual regions.

The big winners in each of the six different categories will be announced on April 13, during a special ceremony held at the 2017 New York International Auto Show.

2017 World Car
Audi A5/S5 Coupe
Audi Q2
Audi Q5
Fiat/Abarth 124 Spyder
Honda Civic
Jaguar F-Pace
Mazda CX-9
Skoda Kodiaq
Toyota C-HR
Volkswagen Tiguan

2017 World Luxury Car
Bentley Bentayga
BMW 5-Series
Genesis G90
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Volvo S90/V90

2017 World Performance Car
Aston Martin DB11
Audi R8 Spyder
Honda/Acura NSX
McLaren 570S
Porsche Boxster/Cayman

2017 World Urban Car
BMW i3
Citroen C3
Ford Ka+
Smart Cabriolet
Suzuki Ignis

2017 World Car Design
Audi A5/S5 Coupe
Jaguar F-Pace
Mazda CX-9
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Toyota C-HR

2017 World Green Car
Chevrolet Bolt
Honda Clarity FCV
Hyundai Ioniq
Tesla Model X
Toyota Prius Prime