The Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year has announced the winners of the five categories in this year’s award: Family Car, Large Car, SUV, Exclusive Car and 4×4 & Pick-Up. They say all these vehicles represent excellence in their segments in terms of safety, driving, technology, comfort, efficiency, environmental impact and value for money.
A total of 62 candidates were in the running to win one of the WWCOTY categories. All of them must meet the requirement of having been launched in at least two continents between January 1 and December 31, 2023.
This is the 14th edition of the awards presented by WWCOTY which consists of a team of 75 women motoring journalists from 52 countries (including New Zealand) on five continents. It is the only all-female jury in the automotive industry worldwide.
The work of the jurors over the past year has been marked by a market in continuous evolution towards more efficient and sustainable models. “Voting was not easy due to the extraordinary level of the candidates,” says Marta Garcia, president of the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year. No vote was given at random. All have responded to demanding driving tests, detailed analysis and challenging studies of the competition. That’s why the WWCOTY awards are the benchmark for millions of buyers around the world.
The result is five unbeatable models, five cars that represent excellence in their category, automobiles that deserve one of the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year awards.
These five winners now announced will go through to the final round of judging to determine the winner of WWCOTY’s top award. The Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year winner will be announced on the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year Youtube Channel at 00:00 on 8 March, International Women’s Day.
2024 Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year: Category Winners
FAMILY CAR: Volvo EX30
LARGE CAR: BMW 5 Series
SUV: Kia EV9
4X4 & PICK-UP: Volkswagen Amarok
EXCLUSIVE CAR: Aston Martin DB12
Following is a description of each category winner, as supplied by Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year.
Volvo EX30
It is Volvo’s first premium compact SUV, its third 100% electric model and its most affordable car. It stands out for its homologated range of 450 kilometres, for its quality, safety equipment and because it is the Volvo with the lowest carbon footprint to date.
Comfortable and spacious.
BMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series is offered with a full range of engines, including for the first time a fully electric version, as well as a family variant. This eighth generation features the most advanced technology, offers a spacious and comfortable cabin for occupants and is the brand’s first model to incorporate a fully vegan interior as standard.
Kia EV9
The Kia EV9 is the first large electric SUV with up to seven seats. Despite its 5 metres length, it has good aerodynamics. It also stands out for its innovative design, high technology, bidirectional charging, and ultra-fast 800-volt charging. In addition, its price is very competitive compared to other models in its segment.
Volkswagen Amarok
This new generation of the Volkswagen Amarok presents a radical change. It gains habitability, off-road capabilities, load capacity. It includes five engines that adapt to the needs of each market. It also improves interior quality and equipment.
Aston Martin DB12
Luxury, elegance and performance define the new Aston Martin DB12. It is powered by a twin-turbo V8 engine that delivers 680 hp, declares a top speed of 325 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0-60 mph) in 3.6 seconds. The most notable changes are found in its cabin with a new design and high quality without losing its functionality.
About Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year
Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year is the only car awards group in the world comprised exclusively of women motoring journalists. It was created by New Zealand motoring journalist Sandy Myhre in 2009. She is Honorary President while Marta García is Executive President.
This unique award aims to recognise the best cars of the year and to give a voice to women in the automotive world. The voting criteria are based on the same principles that guide any driver when choosing a car. The jurors do not select a ‘woman’s car’ because cars are not gender specific. Aspects such as safety, quality, price, design, ease of driving, benefits and environmental footprint, among others, are considered when casting the votes.
However, beyond choosing the best cars of the year, their goal is also to give visibility to women in the automotive world and to contribute to making women’s voices heard on all continents because mobility for a woman means access to many personal and professional possibilities.