The shortlist for the World Car Awards 2023 has been announced, with last year’s winning brand in line to retain the title.

The announcement of the victors will take place on April 5 at the 2023 New York International Auto Show, where the top three competitors from each of the six categories will advance to the next round.

This will include selecting the overall 2023 World Car of the Year, which succeeds the current champion, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, as the most prestigious automotive award in the world.

The Korean brand will be aiming to follow-up last years success with the Ioniq 6 competing against the BMW X1 and the electrified iX1, in addition to the Kia Niro.

There is a fully electrified version of each of the three cars that have made it this far in the competition for 2023 World Car of the Year.

After initially considering almost 30 vehicles, a panel of one hundred automotive journalists from around the world narrowed the field to 10, from which they ultimately chose the best three.

Since its inception, the WCA has grown into one of the most prestigious awards programs in the automotive industry, with winners being announced at the New York Auto Show each year. The awards are presented in several categories, including World Car of the Year, World Luxury Car, World Performance Car, and World Urban Car.

One of the co-founders of the World Car Awards, Peter Lyon, spoke about the origins of the program and its mission, saying:

"We created the World Car Awards to reflect the global nature of the automotive industry and to provide consumers with an unbiased, objective view of the best cars on the market. Our mission is to recognize and celebrate excellence in the automotive industry, and we are honored to have the support of our colleagues in the media from around the world."

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