Just one of these World Car of the Year finalists is American-made

By Sean Tucker

Are these the best cars in the world?

The 2024 World Car of the Year Awards have named 18 finalists in six categories, and just one is an American-made car. No pressure, Ford (F) Bronco.

A jury of 98 journalists from 30 countries grants the awards. They'll name the winners at the New York International Auto Show this month. The auto show opens to the public March 29.

BMW (XE:BMW) led all automakers with four finalists. Volvo (VLVLY) earned three. Kia (KR:000270), Mercedes (XE:MBG), and China's BYD have two each. A handful of finalists have never been sold in the U.S., including two BYD models and the Lexus LBX subcompact SUV.

The center of the automotive world is shifting toward China.

BYD overtook Tesla (TSLA) as the world's top electric vehicle builder last year. It's one of several Chinese automakers building or considering plants in Mexico. Chinese cars have become big business in Mexico - they've outsold American vehicles south of the border since 2022.

An American manufacturing group recently raised the alarm about Chinese cars in America, warning that vehicles built in Mexico by Chinese-owned manufacturers might be able to qualify for $7,500 federal EV tax credits and could hurt American manufacturing.

See: Why BYD is rolling out a $233,000 'supercar' even as Tesla and Rivian try selling cheaper EVs

The finalists:

World Car of the Year: BYD Seal, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30

World Electric Vehicle of the Year: BMW i5, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30

World Luxury Car of the Year: BMW 5 Series/i5, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Mercedes Benz EQE SUV

World Performance Car of the Year: BMW M2, BMW XM, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

World Urban Car of the Year: BYD Dolphin, Lexus LBX, Volvo EX30

World Car Design of the Year: Ford Bronco, Ferrari Purosangue, Toyota (TM) Prius

Read: The 2024 Ford Bronco is civilized in town but really shines off-road

This story originally ran on KBB.com.

-Sean Tucker

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03-11-24 0501ET

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