World Car Awards Takes Over Women’s Car of the Year Program

UPDATE - follow-up to World Car Awards to acquire Women's Worldwide Car of the Year program: The World Car Awards will now run the Women’s World Car of the Year (WWCOTY) program. A dedicated steering committee will manage WWCOTY as an adjunct to the existing awards. The World Car Awards will use its own systems and work with current and former WWCOTY jurors to build the 2027 edition. Beth Rhind, co‑founder and executive vice‑president of the World Car Awards, said the move will give more visibility to women in the auto sector and make their voices heard worldwide. Details on jurors, categories and timeline for the 2027 awards will be released later. The World Car Awards, founded in 2004, involve 98 automotive journalists including Autocar India editor‑in‑chief Hormazd Sorabjee. The 2026 World Car of the Year was the BMW iX3. WWCOTY, started in 2009, now has 86 women jurors such as Renuka Kirpalani (consulting editor – videos) and Mugdha Mishra (editor – auto media strategy). The Nissan Leaf won the Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year for 2026.