The 2022 edition of the World Car of the Year Awards is nearly upon us. Winners will be announced ahead of this year's New York Auto Show in April, but we now have a complete list of finalists in all six categories, including the big tamale – overall world car winner.
We will start there, and the news is big. For the first time in the history of the awards going back to 2005, it's an all-electric showdown. 2021 and 2019 were close with two EVs among the final three, but this year the contenders are the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Kia EV6, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Some might say there are essentially two competitors since the EV6 and Ioniq 5 share the same platform. They have very different aesthetics, however, and there are some key differences in a few areas, such as the EV6 offering a GT model with 576 horsepower.
As for the Ioniq 5, it's also a finalist for two other categories: World Electric Vehicle of the Year and World Car Design of the Year. The Audi E-Tron GT is up for three awards as well, with the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Kia EV6 in the running for two awards. Here's a complete breakdown of the finalists:
World Car
- Ford Mustang Mach-E
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Kia EV6
World Electric Vehicle
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Audi E-Tron GT
- Mercedes-Benz EQS
World Urban Car
- Opel Mokka
- Toyota Yaris Cross
- Volkswagen Taigun
World Luxury Car
- BMW iX
- Genesis GV70
- Mercedes-Benz EQS
World Performance Car
- Audi E-Tron GT
- BMW M3/M4
- Toyota GR 86 / Subaru BRZ
World Car Design
- Audi E-Tron GT
- Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Kia EV6
To be eligible for the primary World Car of the Year Award, a vehicle must have a manufacturing run of at least 10,000 units per year. It must also be available in at least two major markets during the period of January 1, 2021 to March 30, 2022. Lastly, it must be priced below the luxury-car level in major markets.
All winners will be announced ahead of the 2022 New York Auto Show on April 13.
