world car awards Page 13

The World Car Awards are basically the Oscars for cars, minus the awkward acceptance speeches. An international panel of motoring journalists judges new models on innovation, value, safety, environmental impact, and market significance. Categories include World Car of the Year, Urban, Luxury, Performance, Electric, and Car Design of the Year. Winners are announced around the New York Auto Show, which is a fancy way of saying “big stage, lots of lights.” If a badge can bag one of these, it’s a proper bragging-rights moment, not just a shiny sticker for the showroom. Handy tip: awards don’t guarantee love at first drive, but they’re a solid shortlist when you’re trawling Tradingpost for your next hero.