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world car of the year

The best cars in the world REVEALED from the Volvo XC60 to Range Rover Velar – and Britain boasts the sexiest

The best cars in the world have been announced at the World Car of the Year awards

THE best cars in the world have been revealed - and SUVs have dominated the voting.

The Volvo XC60 was crowned top by World Car of the Year (WCOTY) judges today at the New York Auto Show.

 Volvo XC60 was crowned best car in the world
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Volvo XC60 was crowned best car in the world

And it was good news for Britain with the posh Range Rover Velar winning sexiest motor in the design category.

The £45,000 Velar was also nominated in the car of the year award - alongside the Mazda CX-5 - but lost out to the Swedish crossover.

It's the second year in a row that a SUV has won the award after the Jaguar F-Pace was crowned king in 2017.

The XC60 is Volvo's first ever win and was praised for its design, safety and connectivity.

 British-made Velar won the design award
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British-made Velar won the design award

It crowns a magnificent year for the Swedish firm after the smaller XC40 won What Car? Car of the Year in January.

Boss Hakan Samuelsson, who was also voted as car person of the year, said: "I am pleased to see our company’s product investments paying off.

 BMW M5 was also a winner at the 2018 World Car of the Year Awards
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BMW M5 was also a winner at the 2018 World Car of the Year Awards

The World Car of the Year award winners

World Car of the Year: Volvo XC60

Design: Range Rover Velar

Urban: Volkswagen Polo

Green: Nissan Leaf

Performance: BMW M5

Luxury: Audi A8

"We are up against some tough competition, but this award for the XC60 shows that Volvo has the right combination of design, connectivity and safety that appeals to customers across the world."

While the Velar lost out on top spot, it won World Car Design of the Year.

 Live in the city? The Polo is the best you can buy
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Live in the city? The Polo is the best you can buy

That means Britain is home to the sexiest car money can buy.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover's chief design officer, said: "The continued evolution of our design philosophy is driven by a relentless focus on creating highly desirable vehicles our customers will love for life.

"The Range Rover Velar brings a new dimension of modernity to the Range Rover family with an abundance of innovative technologies, all making this vehicle a joy to drive and be driven in."

Mike Rutherford, WCOTY juror, director and vice-chairman, said: "Britain is now the undisputed world champion of car design after Velar won the trophy today and F-Pace did the same thing this time last year.

 Audi A8 is the top luxury car on sale
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Audi A8 is the top luxury car on sale

"The Germans in particular are not happy about the fact that the Brits have taken over from them as the designers of the finest-looking, most functional premium cars in the world."

Other winners were the Audi A8, VW Polo, Nissan Leaf and BMW M5.

 New Leaf adds bigger battery so you charge less often
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New Leaf adds bigger battery so you charge less often

The A8 was victorious for its space age technology while the M5 won for its pure driving thrills.

If you live in the city you can't beat the Polo, according to judges.

While the extra range on the new Nissan Leaf makes it the best eco-car on the market.

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