The best cars on the planet

Ten cars have been nominated as finalists in the 2019 World Car Awards, chosen from an initial list of 40 contenders. They are in alphabetical order: New York show on April 17. The reigning World Car of the Year is the Volvo XC60.

Listed below are the five categories and their finalists: 1. Audi A1 2. Hyundai AH2/Santro 3. Kia Soul 4. Seat Arona 5. Suzuki Jimny 1. Audi A7 2. Audi Q8 3. BMW 8 Series 4. Mercedes-Benz CLS 5. Volkswagen Touareg 1. Aston Martin Vantage 2. BMW M2 Competition 3. Hyundai Veloster N 4. McLaren 720S 5. Mercedes-Benz AMG 4-door Coupe 1. Audi e-tron 2. Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid 3. Hyundai Nexo 4. Jaguar I-Pace 5. Kia Niro EV

Audi’s new e-tron, left, has been nominated for the overall as well as the World Green Car award. Below: The XC40 is one of two Volvos on the 2019 World Car Awards shortlist.