Volvo, Kia and BYD duke it out in the finals for World Car of 2024

Three electric vehicles — none produced by an American manufacturer — will compete next month for the title of 2024 World Car of the Year, it was announced Monday.

The finalists are the Kia EV9, the Volvo EX30 and the BYD Seal (shown above). The latter two are built in China.

The three top finalists in five other categories were also named at the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. The winners in all six categories will be revealed live during an awards ceremony at the New York International Auto Show on March 27. This year marks the 20th year of the World Car Awards and the partnership with the New York show.

Besides car of the year, the other finalists are:

Electric vehicle: BMW i5, Kia EV9, Volvo EX30;

Luxury car: BMW 5 Series/i5, Mercedes Benz E-Class, Mercedes Benz EQE SUV;

Performance car: BMW M2, BMW XM, Hyundai Ionia 5 N;

Urban car: BYD Dolphin, Lexus LBX, Volvo EX30;

World Car Design: Ford Bronco, Ferrari Purosangue, Toyota Prius.

Only Ford among U.S. companies has an entry in the final selections, and only in one category, design, for the Bronco.

BMW has four vehicles in the finals, Volvo has three, Kia and Mercedes have two each.

BYD from China has two entries as well. The Seal went on sale in in its home market in 2022 and is now available in most of the rest of the world. The BYD Co. (which stands for Build Your Dreams) has surpassed Tesla to become the world’s biggest maker of electric vehicles, and has its sights set on the U.S.

The selection process for World Cars involves 100-plus automotive journalists from 29 countries who vote, as they review and test-drive the eligible vehicles for the 2024 awards. Their journey is captured virtually on World Car TV.