I am quite sure that most of you, our motoring section readers, have already heard about the World Car Awards, of which the most prestigious award in their lineup is the World Car of the Year. But did you know that there is also a Women’s World Car of the Year? It is organized by a completely different group of motoring journalist jurors – all women, as the title implies – coming from 45 countries across five continents.
And no, it is not a vote to select cars for women, as frankly, I don’t think there is such a thing. Vehicles are generally made for all genders that comprise the global automobile market. And most of the time, a consumer’s preference for vehicles is driven by his/her needs, budget, and personal taste.
Nevertheless, the Women’s World Car of the Year (WWCOTY) Awards was conceived several years ago as a response to the World Car Awards (based in New York) not having any females included in their juror lineup at that time. Their objective for creating the Women’s World Car of the Year, shares their Executive President, Marta Garcia, was to also give women a voice in the male-dominated motoring world.
Today though, I am happy to see that the World Car Awards already does have several female motoring journalists included in their roster of jurors. And so here comes the most exciting part – the list of the winners of the 2023 Women’s World Car of the Year Awards, in its 6 pre-defined categories:
· 4×4 and Pickup: Ford Ranger
· SUV: Nissan X-Trail
· Performance Car: Audi RS 3
· Urban Car: Kia Niro
· Family SUV: Jeep Avenger
· Large Car: Citroen C5 X
These vehicles, according to their all-female jurors, represent excellence in their specific car segments based on the criteria of safety, comfort, driving, design, technology, efficiency, impact on the environment, and value for money.
Additionally, there will be one vehicle hailed as the 2023 Women’s World Car of the Year, to be voted as the overall favorite from the 6 winning vehicles listed above. The winner in this open category will be revealed on March 8, which is also International Women’s Day.
The vehicles that we currently have available in the Philippine market from the WWCOTY’s winning list above are the Ford Ranger and Audi RS 3. You – and I mean Filipinos of all genders – may want to check for yourselves, why women from around the world expressed their fondness for these models. Happy driving!