Among the list of thirty six new vehicles out of the market before January 1, 2005 for at least five countries, on at least two continents, the Audi 6 was named as the World Car of the Year for 2005. This was held during the media preview for the Canadian International Auto Show held last February 16, 2005 in Toronto. The decision came out from the forty eight international automobile journalists representing sixteen countries that acted as the jury. They use twenty separate parameters including acceleration, braking, vehicle dynamics, safety features, cargo, and off road capabilities. They then selected the top 10 vehicles for the final round of voting.
The final selection was rated on five key areas of importance to costumers: merit, value, safety and environmental responsibility, significance, and wow factor! - the car's emotional appeal. The secret ballots were then collected and tabulated by KPMG, an international accounting firm. The World Car of the Year programme is administered as a non-profit corporation with a Steering Committee of six journalists who oversee and monitor the integrity of the voting process. The Audi 6 surpasses the Volvo S40-V50 and Porsche 911 in a close race to be declared as the World Car of the Year. "The concept of national borders is now almost non-existent in terms of where vehicles and their components are designed, engineered, developed, and built ... or where they are sold," said British automotive journalist, Graham Johnson, who is also a co-chair of the award program. "Considering the ever-increasing globalization of the automotive industry," he added, "the concept of a World Car of the Year award program was inevitable ... it is truly an idea whose time has come."
"An award of this magnitude rests like a crown jewel among a host of accolades for our new A6. To be selected as the ultimate winner from a list of so many deserving vehicles, by automotive experts from around the world is truly gratifying. It signals the universal appeal of Audi's approach to designing and building the most progressive, sporty cars in the premium class," said Johan de Nysschen, Executive Vice-President of Audi of America Inc., who received the award. "We are delighted to be the first-time recipients of such a prestigious award,” he added.
Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.
