Shereen Shabnam
After a year of testing cars, the jury of the Women’s World Car of the Year are pleased to announce the winners in each of nine categories. These vehicles represent excellence in their segments based on safety, comfort, technology, and value for the money.
As a Motoring Jury based in the UAE, I was able to test the nominated cars easily as we were less affected with lockdowns during the year. This is the eleventh year for WWCOTY, a team of fifty motoring journalists from 38 countries spanning five continents. It is the only jury in the automotive world composed exclusively of women.
This year’s new voting methodology started with choosing the three best models in each category before narrowing those picks down to the individual winners. Eligible vehicles were launched between January and December 2020. As in previous years, votes were certified by the independent auditor Grant Thornton New Zealand.
This year, voting was more complicated due to the pandemic, which limited each juror’s ability to drive. Despite the challenges, jurors made an extra effort to get behind the wheel of these vehicles to evaluate them in time for voting.
One more round of voting remains. Jurors will now choose the Best Car of the Year from among the nine category winners. The results will be announced on March 8, International Women’s Day.
2021 Women’s World Car of the Year Category Winners
| BEST URBAN CAR | BEST FAMILY CAR | BEST LUXURY CAR |
| Peugeot 208 | Skoda Octavia | Lexus LC500 Cabrio |
| BEST SPORT CAR | BEST URBAN SUV | BEST MEDIUM SUV |
| Ferrari F8 Spider | Peugeot 2008 | Land Rover Defender |
Women’s World Car of the Year is the only car awards group in the world composed exclusively of women motoring journalists. It was created by New Zealand motoring journalist, Sandy Myhre, in 2009. She is currently Honorary President while Marta García serves as Executive President.
The objective of the awards is to choose the best cars of the year. These are not ‘women’s cars’ because there is no such thing. Instead, cars are chosen based on the principles that guide all consumers including safety, quality, price, design, driving dynamics, and environmental impact.
