2020 Car of the Year: A review of the finalists
The reign of Jaguar’s I-Pace as the Car of the Year is coming to a close. Soon, a new winner will be selected. Image: Jaguar via AFP Relaxnews
The 2020 Car of the Year is scheduled to be announced on March 2, timing that was intended to be in the lead up to the Geneva Motor Show, which has been cancelled. A look at the finalists for this highly awaited award.
Back in November, the Car of the Year organization published a shortlist of 2020 Car of the Year finalists. Seven vehicles were nominated by dozens of car experts hailing from more than 20 different countries who together were given the responsibility of determining which car is worthy of such a preeminent title.
Article continues after this advertisementNow that we’re just a few days away — that is, if the reveal is not delayed due to the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show — from finding out which model these experts deem at this year’s Car of the Year; the finalists include:
BMW 1-Series
The latest version of this subcompact car was announced back in May. Owners (only those in Europe, however, where the vehicle was launched) can select between five engine variants and three transmission options.
Article continues after this advertisementFord Puma
Ford’s Puma, a little crossover SUV, combines affordability with practicality, bringing owners a generous collection of integrated technologies along with a hybrid engine. Like the BMW, this compact model is only sold in Europe.
Peugeot 208
Like the two previous models, Peugeot’s 208, which was announced about a year ago is cute, compact, only available in Europe, and for the first time in the model’s history, now electric.
Porsche Taycan
Porsche’s Taycan is the first battery-electric sports car ever made by the company. Though in terms of performance, the model is still well behind the specs of Tesla’s Model S, the car represents a major step forward into the company’s electric future.
Renault Clio
The latest iteration of Renault’s classic city car, the Clio, was not only given a sportier look but also was outfitted with a handful of technologies to keep the connected users of 2020 in touch with their digital livelihoods.
Tesla Model 3
Because Tesla cars are among the most powerful and most technologically advanced EVs currently on the market, it’s no wonder the Model 3 is a finalist. The model boasts a 322-mile range and can sprint from 0 to 60mph in just two seconds.
Toyota Corolla
Since its launch back in 1966, the Toyota Corolla has remained as one of the best-selling cars in the world; in fact, in all of automotive history, it’s the best-selling nameplate worldwide.
The vehicles were selected from an original list of 35 cars by a jury of 60 people who will again reduce these seven nominees to just one. Last year, the award went to the Jaguar I-Pace for its “value for money” and innovation.
Before the motor show was cancelled, the organization had planned on announcing the 2020 Car of the Year on Monday evening. Whether or not the award event will be postponed has yet to be disclosed. JB
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