NEW YORK, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- From an initial entry list of twenty-
eight (28) new vehicles from all over the world, a short list of ten
finalists for the third annual World Car of the Year (WCOTY) awards were
announced by the international accounting firm KPMG. The winners of the
2007 WCOTY will be unveiled during Press Preview at the upcoming New York
International Auto Show (NYIAS) on Thursday, April 5, 2007.
    Vehicles are selected and voted on by an international jury panel
comprised of 45 top-level automotive journalists from around the world. To
be eligible, the car must be in production, and sold in at least five
countries on two continents.
    World Car - Top Ten Finalists:
    The following Top Ten World Car finalists are listed below in alphabetical
order:

    Audi Q7                           Jaguar XK
    Audi TT                           Lexus LS 460
    Citroen C4 Picasso                Mercedes CL
    Citroen C6                        MINI
    Fiat Grande Punto                 Suzuki SX4 / Fiat Sedici

    World Performance Car - Top Ten Finalists:
    In addition, the following Top Ten World Performance Car finalists are:

    Audi RS4                          Jaguar XKR
    Audi S6                           Mazda 3 MPS / Mazdaspeed3
    BMW 335i                          Porsche 911 GT3
    BMW M / Z4 M Coupe/Roadster       Porsche 911 Turbo
    Ferrari 599 GTB                   Renault Clio Renault Sport
    The jurors' next steps are to re-evaluate the "Top Ten" cars in the
above categories in preparation for a final round of voting on March 1st.
Jury members will specifically rate each vehicle in terms of overall merit,
value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and
significance. KPMG will tabulate the vote results and the top three
finalists will be announced no later than Thursday, March 8th, 2007
    There are no Top Ten finalists for World Green Car or for World Design
of the Year. Instead, jurors will vote in those categories on March 1st.
The Top Three finalists in all awards categories will then be announced on
Thursday, March 8th.
    The 2007 World Car of the Year, as well as the winners of the World
Performance Car, World Green Car and World Car Design of the Year titles
will all be declared on Thursday, April 5, 2007 during a press conference
to be held at the New York International Auto Show.
    "Announcing the annual World Car of the Year awards at the New York
show is a fitting finale to the auto show season that begins each fall with
either the Paris or Frankfurt motor shows," said Gerry Malloy, co-chair,
WCOTY. "Next, it's on to Tokyo in alternating years. The Detroit show takes
center stage in January while Geneva claims the spotlight in March.
Finally, in April, the season reaches its exciting climax at the New York
International Auto Show."
    About World Car of the Year
    The World Car of the Year Awards program is initiated by, organized by,
and conducted by, automotive journalists from around the globe. A
non-profit association guided by a steering committee of journalists from
Asia, Europe, and North America administers the awards program. WCOTY is
intended to complement, not compete with, existing COTY awards by raising
consumer awareness of regional Car of the Year award programs as well as
the World Car of the Year.
    About New York International Auto Show
    Kicking off the springtime selling season, the 2007 New York
International Auto Show will feature an impressive collection of
cutting-edge design and remarkable innovation. More than four floors of
displays from the world's automakers will feature the newest vehicles and
futuristic concept cars. More than 1,000 cars and trucks will be on display
at the Javits Center, filling 846,000 square feet of exhibit space. In
addition, dozens of World and North American vehicle debuts are expected at
the Show. NYIAS is owned and produced by the Greater New York Automobile
Dealers Association.
    Important Auto Show Dates

    Press Preview            April 4 & 5
    Public Sneak Preview     April 6
    Public Show Dates        April 6 - 15

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