Volvo has picked up the award for World Car of the Year (WCOTY) with the Volvo XC60 at the New York motor show, marking the first time the brand has won the overall title.
The Swedish model beat 33 other vehicles to the top spot, finishing ahead of the finalists, the Mazda CX-5 and Range Rover Velar (below), to complete a podium of SUVs.
"I am pleased to see our company's product investments paying off," said Volvo CEO HÃ¥kan Samuelsson. "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."
Volvo picked up the European and What Car? Car of the Year awards for the smaller XC40 earlier this year, illustrating growing success for the brand, which has turned around its fortunes since being acquired by Chinese automotive giant Geely in 2010.
Also awarded in New York was the Nissan Leaf, which was announced as the World Green Car, while the Audi A8 took top spot in the World Luxury Car category. Overall runner-up, the Velar, won the World Car Design award, the BMW M5 was named World Performance Car and the Volkswagen Polo topped the Urban Car class.
“The New York International Auto Show is proud of the tradition it has built with the World Car Awards to recognise the 'best of the best' in the auto industry," said John LaSorsa, chairman of the New York motor show. "Over the past 12 years, this awards programme [WCOTY] has grown to become one of the most coveted honours for the world's auto makers."
Last year’s overall winner was the Jaguar F-Pace, while the Mazda MX-5 won the year before that.
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Honestly
How the f@*% did the Velar win "The World Car Design" award, its a pig ugly SUV that looks just like the rest of the Landrover line up, but with flush door handles.
Ugly
Seems the uglier the car, the more chance it has of winning car of the year
Car Of The Year 2018
Congratulations to Volvo on winning what I believe is their first COTY award,it's well deserved after fifty years, also top marks to Geely who've developed the marque since they bought it from the Blue Oval nearly a decade ago. It's good to see how both Geely & Tata have rejuvinated JLR & Volvo marques since liberation from the cold hands of Uncle Henry.