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A big congratulation to the Nissan Leaf as it has defeated the Audi A8 and BMW 5-Series to earn the title of 2011 World Car of the Year. In 2010, the Volkswagen Polo took home this award. The award shows once again the importance of electric vehicles and the trend will continue in the next years. Fuel efficient vehicles are slowly becoming the core product of large automakers and a bet that can transform many companies. Deemed a "gateway to a brave new electric world," the panel of 66 automotive journalists were impressed by the Leaf's pure-electric powertrain and promise of zero-emission motoring. According to Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, "It is a great joy that the world's first, mass-marketed electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, has won the prestigious award of 2011 World Car of the Year. This accolade recognizes Nissan LEAF, a pioneer in zero-emission mobility, as comparable in its driving performance, quietness and superb handling to gas-powered cars." In the less efficient realm of the industry, the 2011 Ferrari 458 Italia was named World Performance Car of the Year, and the sleek 2011 Aston Martin Rapide was given the World Design of the Year crown. Aston Martin Rapide Ferrari 458 Italia

The finalists for the 2011 World Car of the Year have been announced, with the winner to be revealed at the New York International Auto Show on April 21st. Two very diverse cars, at the opposite end on the car spectrum, lead the nominations with two each. The electric Nissan Leaf is in contention with for the main World Car of the Year Award, alongside two German sedans, the Audi A8 and the BMW 5-Series. The Leaf has already won the prestegious European Car of the Year, so it remains to be seen whether it can complete a double. In addition, the Leaf is also nominated in the World Green Car of the Year award, with the Chevrolet Volt and BMW 320d EfficientDynamics. That promises to be quite a battle, with all three cars having very good credentials to win the award on their own merit. The other car with a double nomination is the Ferrari 458 Italia, which is entered in the World Performance Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year categories. In the Performance Car category, the 458 Italia is up against fellow supercar heavyweights like the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and the Porsche 911 Turbo, while in the Design category, the Ferrari battles the likes of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Aston Martin Rapide. To be honest, I personally feel that the World Car of the Year Awards are a bit dubious. Perhaps it's because the WCOTY is a relatively new award, having only been around since 2005, and thus lack the credibility of more established awards like the European or Japanese COTY, which have been running for decades. The criteria for nomination also seems a bit vague and open, with the only requirement being that the car has to be sold in in at least five countries on two continents to be considered. This means a huge selection of cars sold around the world are eligible for contention. I mean, the Suzuki SX4(!) was nominated as a finalist once, believe it or not. The result is that the nominations, and some winners, come across as a bit strange sometimes. Past winners have ranged from cars as diverse as the Lexus LS460 to the Mazda 2. This year's one isn't much better, with an electric car competing against two large German sedans. How fair is that? It seems like the WCOTY is a primarily American-organised award, which sometimes result in an American bias in the nominations and winners. That's just my opinion though. Nevertheless, whether you agree or not, it might be worthwhile to have a look at the finalists again, in pictures: World Car of the Year Audi A8 BMW 5-Series Nissan Leaf World Performance Car of the Year Ferrari 458 Italia Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Porsche 911 Turbo World Green Car of the Year BMW 320d EfficientDynamics Edition Chevrolet Volt Nissan Leaf World Car Design of the Year Alfa Romeo Giulietta Aston Martin Rapide Ferrari 458 Italia

The Polo is like a precious stone in the VW family, small but shining brightly. Having just won the European Car of The Year award recently, the little star has just received another accolade by capturing the coveted World Car of The Year award. VW's car beat the two highly-regarded finalists, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Toyota Prius, to win the award. 30 vehicles had originally been nominated for the prize, a list that was whittled down until the three finalists were announced last month. To be considered for the award, a vehicle had to be in production and sold on at least two different continents in 2009. At least 500 units of each nominated vehicle had to be produced in 2009 to qualify. The award is voted on by a jury of 59 automotive experts from around the world, though only one juror was from Africa or South America. Collectively, they narrowed the field from 30 to ten in January, before choosing the finalists a month later. Previous award winners include the VW Golf, Mazda2/Demio, Lexus LS460, BMW 3-Series, and Audi A6. Just a suggestion to Volkswagen Singapore - How about a discount of SGD 2010 off the Polo for a limited period to commemorate this joyous ocassion ?