2025 World Car Finalists Announced

The nearly 100 international journalists that make up the World Car Awards jury have voted in round one. And we have the finalists for the 2025 awards season. Here are the cars that are inching closer to a win at the 2025 World Car Awards. First, it is the biggest category - 2025 World Car of the Year. Of the 52 nominees here are the Top 10 finalists, in alphabetical order. 

2025 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR TOP 10 FINALISTS

Audi A5/S5: The Audi A5 and its performance alter ego the S5. It effectively now combines the previous A4, A5 coupé, and A5 Sportback into a new single-model line. It is longer, wider, and taller than those cars and has a variety of mild hybrid engines and also a V6 hybrid for the S5 variant.

BMW X3: All-new design language, lots of engine variants including a plug-in hybrid and a 6-cylinder powerful variant. It’s a wide selection with the new 4^th generation BMW X3 SUV. It also brings BMW’s latest tech interface and innovation to the X range.

Ford Mustang: From 315 to 480 horsepower output is a wide range of variants covered by the new 7^th generation Ford Mustang. The American icon now also has the last of the V8s in the muscle car club. It’s got many trims and also a special 60th-anniversary limited edition. 

Hyundai Inster / Casper Electric: Known as the Casper Electric in Korea, the Hyundai Inster is a small city EV with cute looks and surprisingly capable performance. 42 or 49 kWh battery packs with a driving range from 330 to 370 km are perfect for use in the city. And yes we can expect a version of this car in India in 2026.

Kia EV3: Big case for this one coming to us too! Have to ask, is it a baby EV9 or is the Kia EV3 more than that? Having driven it, I can say it is definitely more. 55 and 78 kWh battery pack options, and 435-604 km of driving range. Great dynamics, a comfortable ride, and all the tech and frills you’d expect. All packed into a very attractive and compact design.

MINI Cooper Electric: Everything got better on the new electric MINI Cooper. New design, awesome new tech with the world’s first round screen interface, and a larger 49.2 kWh battery with 400 km of range, and a new dedicated EV platform.

Suzuki Swift: The darling of the Indian market, and a bestseller here for sure! The 4^th generation Suzuki Swift is a city hatch that packs in high fuel efficiency with zippy performance. Available with mild hybrid in some markets, the new Swift also brings new technologies and higher safety levels to all its iterations worldwide.

Toyota Camry: We recently got the 9^th generation of the Camry – one of the world’s bestselling nameplates of all time. The new Camry is sexy, and more driver-focused, and it is also loaded with a lot more technology than before. 

Toyota Land Cruiser / 250: The second Toyota in the Top Ten, this is the light-duty off-roader in its 5^th generation. Marketed as just the Land Cruiser, the Land Cruiser 250, and the Land Cruiser Prado – this new SUV has better performance, more efficient hybrid engines, and new tech. It’s also got a unique retro-inspired design. Very cool, drives well, and sadly not here yet!

Volkswagen Tiguan / Tayron: Rounding off our top 10 is another India-relevant car that’s coming to us this year as the Tayron. The new 3^rd generation VW Tiguan (its longer-wheelbase, 3-row variant is badged Tayron in some markets) is bigger, and more modern. It includes more safety, tech, and a plug-in hybrid variant; the latter is unlikely for us.

2025 WORLD URBAN CAR TOP 5 FINALISTS

BYD Seagull / Dolphin Mini: Sold as the Dolphin Mini in Latin America, the Seagull is BYD’s smallest model. 30 and 38.8 kWh battery options give the car a 305 to 405 km claimed range. Looks cool!

Hyundai Inster / Casper Electric: Hyundai’s Casper is back on the list. The cute city car is now marketed outside Korea for the first time as the Inster EV. Yes, it sounds like a brother to the Exter, and which is why we will get some form of this car soon enough. I’ve tested it – and it is definitely right for our market.

MINI Cooper: The 4^th generation of the MINI Cooper also makes another appearance, but unlike the EV, this is the ICE version. It still uses the previous generation’s underpinnings but does have the same styling and tech as the EV. It is already launched in India. 

MINI Cooper Electric: While they look the same, they don’t share a platform and are very different under the skin. This is the first dedicated EV MINI model. The Cooper SE is fun to drive, and the larger 49.2 kWh battery gives it 400 km of range. We can only expect it by the year-end or early 2026.

Suzuki Swift: Also in its 4^th generation, the new Swift also features a second time in the shortlisted nominees. A strong candidate for the World Urban Car category for reasons we all know very well. The new car retains its recognisability while still bringing fresh design elements inside and out. Convenient and practical for the city, the Swift has excellent mileage and space utilisation. 

2025 WORLD LUXURY CAR TOP 5 FINALISTS

Lexus GX: The 3^rd generation Lexus GX brings all of Toyota’s Land Cruiser DNA in a stylish, luxurious package. Larger than the Land Cruiser, and with a 3-row option, the GX has a 2.4 hybrid or 3.4 V6 engine option. No India plans as yet. 

Porsche Macan: The second-generation Macan has gone all-electric, and has multiple variants with varying output and drive range options. It has sporty performance, sharp handling, loads of tech & comfort. Launched in India, the car will make its public debut this month at the Delhi Auto Expo. 

Porsche Panamera: Sportier and a lot more luxurious. Plus, many more features and technical options. That’s the 3^rd generation Porsche Panamera. It also has new e-hybrid variants, and performance models in the mix.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz: Combining retro-charm, nostalgia, and lots of attitude, with performance, modern tech, and loads of comfort and conveniences. The ID. Buzz is part minivan, part family car, and is also fun to drive! And it’s another multiple-category nominee! 

Volvo EX90: So is this one! Built on Volvo’s new EV platform, the long-awaited EX90 is everything you thought it would be. The 111-kWh battery gives it loads of range, and there is a lot of comfort and tech in the cabin, with captain seats in the second row as an option. 

2025 WORLD PERFORMANCE CAR TOP 5 FINALISTS

Bentley Continental GT Speed: Powered by a hybrid V8 instead of the legendary W12, there were doubts about the prowess of the fastest Continental variant. They vanish quickly as soon as you drive this 771-hp monster! 

BMW M5: The 7^th gen takes the legendary nameplate to a new space. Now exclusively available as a V8 plug-in hybrid, the M5 retains performance-enhancing features, like adaptive dampers, and a wide range of drive modes. Also a nominee at the 2025 Acko Drive Awards!

Ford Mustang: Yup it’s back in this class too! Pony car style with the muscle to match. The 7^th generation Mustang remains very desirable and continues to have a V8 in the stable. Performance peaks with the 500 hp Dark Horse variant. 

Porsche 911 Carrera GTS: How can you not have a 911 variant in this category? Controversial for going hybrid, the new GTS lives up to its legendary nameplate and then goes even further. Precise handling, incredible performance, and excellent response remain the car’s USPs.

Porsche Taycan Turbo GT: Over 1000 horses, extreme performance, and superb speed make the Taycan Turbo GT one of the fastest cars on the planet. It is also the fastest and most powerful Porsche ever built.

2025 WORLD ELECTRIC VEHICLE TOP 5 FINALISTS 

Hyundai Inster / Casper Electric: Yup a third finalist spot for this little wonder! I’ve said enough about it already, and so it’s no surprise it made this cut. It also has Hyundai’s IONIQ interface, very cute looks and a quirky cabin. To remind you: 42 or 49 kWh battery and driving range of 330 up to 370 km.

Kia EV3: Another of the e-GMP platform models, the EV3 is like a baby EV9 in all the right ways. The car gets 55 and 78 kWh battery pack options, and 435-604 km of driving range. It's comfortable and has good dynamics.

Porsche Macan Electric: Here it is again! Also no surprise really. I’ve driven this car extensively now, and it was no disappointment that the Macan went EV-only in its second generation. There are 4 variants to choose from and all use the same 95 kWh battery. But power output ranges from 335 to 630 hp, while the range goes from 591-613 km.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz: Creating buzz, and how! Well-built and modern, yet bringing back so much flower power! The VW ID. Buzz has short and long wheelbase with 5 or 7-seat options. Rear-wheel variants have a 446 to 471 km range. There’s also a 335-hp AWD GTX variant.

Volvo EX90: Told you it’d be back! This one is AWD drive only and has a huge 111 kWh battery. Range goes up to 600 km and despite the large dimensions, it is good in dynamics and efficiency. The EX90 boasts Volvo’s latest tech, even inside the cabin. 

2025 WORLD CAR DESIGN OF THE YEAR TOP 5 FINALISTS 

Baojun Yunduo/Cloud / MG Windsor: Well well! Yes, we know this one don’t we? The all-electric MPV or large hatch from SAIC brands Baojun and MG has a quirky design. Its functional and practical styling makes it look very different. That shape and dedicated EV platform also give it a very roomy cabin, which is luxurious, and loaded with usable tech. 

Kia EV3: The EV3 is also a finalist across many categories. And that is expected. Taking Kia’s opposites united design language into a new age, the very vertical elements of the EV9 are softened to create a unique look for the EV3. The use of space and smart materials on the inside is also impressive. LED lighting is also used to give the EV3 its own signature. 

MINI Cooper: Whoa, another car making many appearances. It's tough to keep a design people love and recognise, yet make it modern, and in-step with electrification needs. The new Cooper is bigger yet looks compact. Its retro flair is retained despite dropping chrome! Modern elements include a superb & unique round-screen OLED interface.

Toyota Land Cruiser: Another iconic model, the new Land Cruiser is the second of our three retro-inspired finalists. There are two versions – the base 1958 has round headlights and other variants get a slim rectangular LED treatment. The cabin has a classic feel too, while incorporating many modern features. 

 Volkswagen ID. Buzz: Staying retro and it is the VW ID. Buzz – another triple nominee! The look is immediately nostalgic and yet the headlights and face are very much in keeping with VW’s ID family look. Clever features and functional design on the inside make this an impressively desirable car, a feeling most minivans don’t usually evoke.

Our worldwide jury will vote and choose the winners in all 6 categories of the 2025 World Car Awards. We will have the result in April at the World Car Awards in New York. Being on the jury is a privilege, and so we at Acko Drive will keep you posted on what cars move ahead to the Top Three in the World in a few weeks.