By: Steve Webner Staff Writer for World Liberty TV

The Road to World Car journey concluded today at the New York International Auto Show with the declaration of the VOLVO XC60 as the 2018 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR.

“I am pleased to see our company’s product investments paying off,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and CEO of Volvo Cars. “We are up against some tough competition, but this award for the XC60 shows that Volvo has the right combination of design, connectivity and safety that appeals to customers across the world.”

The VOLVO XC60 was chosen from an initial entry list of 34 vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten, reduced to three finalists announced in Geneva earlier this month:  the Mazda CX-5, the Range Rover Velar and the Volvo XC60.

“The New York International Auto Show is proud of the tradition it has built with the World Car Awards to recognize the ‘best of the best’ in the auto industry“, said John LaSorsa, chairman of the New York International Auto Show.  “Over the past 12 years this awards program has grown to become one of the most coveted honors for the world’s automakers.”

Additional 2018 World Car Award Winners:

NISSAN LEAF  – 2018 WORLD GREEN CAR: “We’re very proud that since Nissan LEAF launched in 2010, we’ve been able to put more than 300,000 zero-emission electric vehicles on the road worldwide, helping to reduce carbon footprints around the globe,” said Daniele Schillaci, Executive Vice President, Global Marketing and Sales, Zero Emission Vehicle and Battery Business; Chairman of Management Committee for Japan/A&O (Japan, Asia, Oceania Business); Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.,. “We’re honored to be recognized by this esteemed jury and proud to continue to expand the vision of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.”

AUDI A8 – 2018 WORLD LUXURY CAR: “This award is a special honor for us and our flagship model,” Peter Mertens, Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG, explains. “The Audi A8 is an innovation driver for our entire industry.  With its innovative touch control system, consistent broad-based electrification and the technical prerequisites for highly automated driving, the A8 sets new standards in automotive engineering.”

ROVER VELAR – 2018 WORLD CAR DESIGN OF THE YEAR: Prof. Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: “The Range Rover Velar is an outstanding, superior SUV. Compelling modernity, eye-catching design, innovative Touch Pro Duo infotainment technology and a clear focus on sustainability – what a combination. This product speaks for itself. “Receiving the World Car of the Year award means a lot to us. I feel very honored and I want to thank all jury members for their trust and support in encouraging the Land Rover team to continue on their unique path.

BMW M5 – 2018 WORLD PERFORMANCE CAR: “We at BMW are very excited to receive this award from the World Car of the Year organization. The BMW 5 Series has always played an important part of the BMW product portfolio. With this 6th generation BMW 5 Series we are able to offer our customers a broad range of variants ranging from the extremely efficient BMW 530e plug-in hybrid, all the way to the BMW M5, which is the quickest BMW ever built, reaching 0-60 in under 3.2 seconds.”

VOLKSWAGEN POLO  – 2018 WORLD URBAN CAR: “The whole team at Volkswagen is delighted to have won the 2018 World Urban Car award with the Polo,” said Klaus Bischoff, Head of Volkswagen Design. “With around 17 million units sold, the Polo is one of the most successful compact cars of all time and a pillar of the brand. And the sixth-generation, based on the MQB platform, is even sportier and more grown up than its predecessors.”

ABOUT THE WORLD CAR AWARDS: 2018 marks the 12th year of World Car’s partnership with the New York International Automobile Show, and the fifth consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the No.1 automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach. “The New York International Auto Show is proud of the tradition it has built with the World Car Awards to recognize the ‘best of the best’ in the auto industry”, said John LaSorsa, chairman of the New York International Auto Show.  “Over the past 12 years this awards program has grown to become one of the most coveted honors for the world’s automakers.”

The Global Trends Report, co-presented annually by Prime Research and Autoneum, will also be announced during the New York show press conference and media breakfast. The report is the culmination of research and insights across the past six months. Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “Trends such as electromobility or autonomous driving shape the automobile future and offer great opportunities for Autoneum. As global market and technology leader in acoustic and thermal management, Autoneum is developing and manufacturing innovative products and technologies for the mobility of tomorrow. For example, our multifunctional, lightweight components are particularly suited for use in electric vehicles, as they help to reduce the vehicle’s weight which is significantly increased by the battery. Thanks to our innovation leadership and advanced production processes, Autoneum is well-prepared for the automobile future.”

2018 marks the 10th anniversary of World Car’s relationship with Bridgestone. “At Bridgestone, we are focused on delivering sustainable mobility through innovative tire technologies and solutions that address global trends in transportation,” said Shannon Quinn, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “We are proud to join the World Car of the Year organization again this year in celebrating the very best in automotive excellence.”

See more about Cars and Luxury Cars in our World Liberty TV Motor, and Luxury Channels by clicking here.