From an initial entry list of 27 eligible new vehicles, from all over the world, a short list of ten finalists for the inaugural World Car of the Year award was released today.
The 2006 World Car of the Year will be selected from the following finalists:

*BMW 3-Series
*Honda Civic / Civic Hybrid
*LandRover RangeRover Sport
*Lexus IS
*Mazda MX-5
*Mercedes-Benz M-Class
*Mercedes-Benz S-Class
*Porsche Cayman S
*Suzuki Swift
*Volkswagen Passat

A jury of 46 international automotive journalists selected the finalists by secret ballot, based on their experience with all the entrants. The jury members constitute a balance of representation from Asia, Europe, North America, as well as other parts of the world.
The jury's next step is to re-evaluate the "Top Ten" vehicles, in preparation for a final round of voting in March. They will specifically rate each vehicle in terms of overall merit, value, safety, environmental responsibility, emotional appeal, and significance. The top three finalists will be announced on April 1, 2006.
The 2006 World Car of the Year will be declared on Thursday, April 13, 2006 during a press conference to be held at the New York International Auto Show.


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