At a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation, and Autoneum, the BMW i3 (94Ah) was declared the inaugural winner of the 2017 World Urban Car award, and the TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME was declared the 2017 World Green Car Award.
World Urban Car Award
2017 marks the first year for the World Urban Car award. This year’s winner was chosen from an initial entry list of 7 cars from all over the world, then a short list of three finalists as announced in Geneva last month: the BMW i3 (94 Ah), the Citroen C3 and the Suzuki Ignis.
“We are delighted and honored that the BMW i3 has been recognized as the World Urban Car,” said Ludwig Willisch, Head of BMW Group Region Americas. “This award highlights BMW Group’s commitment to sustainable mobility through BMW’s first all‐electric vehicle made primarily of carbon fiber. The design brief for the BMW i3 was to create a Mega City Vehicle for the cities of the future. Today, the new 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah) provides more range paired with a high‐level of dynamic performance, making it the perfect urban vehicle for people around the world.”
World Car vice‐chairman, Mike Rutherford, commented, “It’s an award whose time has come. Everyday cars in many ‐ perhaps most ‐ parts of the world will have to become smaller if road and parking space is to be found for them in increasingly packed towns and cities whose populations are swelling annually. This year’s winner in our inaugural World Urban Car category proves that these small vehicles don’t have to be cheap, undesirable and unpleasant to drive. Quite the opposite. It is among the best value‐for‐money products on the market”.
The Winner:
BMW i3 (94 Ah)
World Finalists:
Citroen C3
Suzuki Ignis
Finalists:
Ford KA+
Entries:
Smart Brabus Range
Suzuki Baleno
World Green Car Award
This is the second consecutive World Green Car win for Toyota Motor Corporation. The Toyota Mirai won last year’s World Green Car title.
The TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME was chosen from an initial entry list of 12 new vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of three finalists as announced in Geneva: the Chevrolet Bolt, the Tesla Model X and the Toyota Prius Prime.
Jack Hollis, Group VP and General Manager of Toyota division commented, “It is a great honor to have both the Prius Prime and C‐HR nominated for World Car of the Year awards. For global automakers like Toyota, consideration for this award is a testament to our focus on developing products that both stir the emotions and meet the mobility needs of our customers in all corners of the world.”
To be eligible for the 2017 World Green Car award, a vehicle had to be all‐new, or substantially revised, in production and introduced for sale or lease to the public in quantities of at least 10 in at least one major market during the period beginning January 1, 2016 and ending May 31, 2017. Tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine componentry), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle’s environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.
The Winner:
Toyota Prius Prime
World Finalists:
Chevrolet Bolt
Tesla Model X
Finalists:
Honda Clarity Fuel-cell
Hyundai Ioniq
Entries:
Audi Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI Quattro
BMW 740e iPerformance
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
Citroen E-MEHARI
Kia Niro Hybrid
Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e (Plug-In Hybrid)
Toyota RAV4
The Score
| Urban Car | Occupant Environment | Performance | Price/Value | Safety | Environment | Market Significance | Emotional appeal | Weighted Score |
| BMW i3 (94 Ah) | 7.7 | 7.3 | 5.9 | 7.6 | 8.7 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 743 |
| Citroen C3 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 7 | 7 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 721 |
| Ford KA+ | 5.5 | 5.6 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 6 | 5.1 | 610 |
| Smart Cabriolet | 6 | 5.7 | 6 | 6.4 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 6.4 | 625 |
| Suzuki Ignis | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 634 |
| Green Car | Occupant Environment | Performance | Price/Value | Safety | Environment | Market Significance | Emotional appeal | Weighted Score |
| Chevrolet Bolt | 6.6 | 7 | 7.5 | 7 | 8.5 | 7.8 | 6.3 | 764 |
| Honda Clarity Fuel-Cell Car | 7.2 | 7 | 5.8 | 7.3 | 8.7 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 721 |
| Hyundai Ioniq | 6.6 | 6.7 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 6 | 768 |
| Tesla Model X | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Toyota Prius Prime | 7 | 6.8 | 7.44 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 6.1 | 765 |
Score details on World Car of The Year
The Selection Process
Vehicles in all award categories are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 75 top‐level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work. Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world‐wide. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates the jurors’ ballots.
The Road to World Car began in Paris on September 29, was followed by test‐drives in Los Angeles in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in six categories at the New York International Auto Show.