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• The WWCOTY awarded its Vehicle of the Year award to the 2023 Kia Niro.
• The organization is comprised solely of female automotive journalists; it has 63 members across 43 countries.
• The WWCOTY was founded in 2009 by automotive journalist Sandy Myhre.
International Women's Rights Day (March 8) is just behind us. Again this year, it was an opportunity to highlight the contributions of women in the automotive industry. Among the events that occur each year is the selection of the Women's World Car of the Year, chosen of course by a jury composed exclusively of women.
On March 8, the winning model was unveiled: the Kia Niro 2023. It beat some pretty big players to take the title.
A total of 63 automotive journalists from 43 countries participated in the process, evaluating 59 models. The experts had to choose a winning model in each of six categories and then pick the overall winner from those winners.
Among the finalists were the winners of the following categories:
2023 City Car: Kia Niro
2023 Performance Car: Audi RS3
2023 Family SUV: Jeep Avenger
2023 Full Size Car: Citroën C5 X
2023 full-size SUV: Nissan X-Trail
2023 4x4/Truck: Ford Ranger
“This year's election was particularly difficult due to the excellent level of all the candidates. Each of the finalists had sufficient merit to win the trophy,” said Marta Garcia, executive president of WWCOTY (Women’s World Car of the Year).
The Motor1 outlet shared some quotes from journalists who were part of the WWCOTY panel. American Elana Scherr found that the Niro “delivers a complete package,”; Belgian Sabrina Parant simply mentioned that the Niro “continues to impress me”. Renuka Kirpalani from India said the Niro was a "practical little city car that gives you everything you need in an affordable package.”
Recall that the Niro received a complete makeover this year as the second generation of the model makes its debut. The original formula has been preserved, both in terms of format (compact and practical) and engines (hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-wheel drive).
