The 2023 World Car Awards jurors have selected the top three finalists for all categories, including for World Car Of The Year. The BMW X1/iX1 will be going up against the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Kia Niro for the crown. The Bavarian luxury brand is also competing in the World Luxury Car category where the 7 Series/i7 does battle with the Lucid Air and the Genesis G90. The i7 shows up again, this time for the World Electric Vehicle. The stately EV will fight the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Lucid Air for the number one spot.
In the other categories where BMW doesn’t have a finalist, the Citroën C3, Ora Funky Cat, and the Volkswagen Taigo/Nivus will do battle for the World Urban Car Award. As for the World Performance Car of 2023, the winner will be the Kia EV6 GT, Nissan Z, or the Toyota GR Corolla. The jurors have also shortened the list for the World Car Design Of The Year to three finalists: Hyundai Ioniq 6, Land Rover Range Rover, and the Lucid Air.
All winners are going to be announced on April 5 at the 2023 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).
Both the X1 and 7 Series will have their respective lineups expanded later this year. The compact crossover’s portfolio will grow to include a first-ever M Performance version as the M35i with over 300 horsepower. In addition, the iX1 is likely to receive a cheaper, front-wheel-drive version with a single motor. As for the fullsize sedan, the purely electric i7 will get the M Performance treatment as well. It has already been announced as an M70 model with over 600 horsepower and 1,000 Newton-meters of torque.
Looking into the future, we won’t be too surprised if the next-generation 5 Series debuting this summer will at least be nominated for the 2024 World Car Awards. Much like its bigger brother, it too will get the purely electric treatment as an i5 model, complete with an i5 M60 sporty derivative.
Source: World Car Awards
