Who will win World Car Of The Year?

Three finalists in.



Earlier this month, the three finalists for World Car of the Year award were announced at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show: the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Polo. The winner will be announced at the New York International Auto Show next week. But which one will take the coveted prize? The jury is still out.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has an eye-catching look, opulent interior, sporty character and a list of safety equipment that'll boggle your mind, including an Attention Assist system designed to help drowsy drivers stay alert and a system that automatically dims the highbeam headlights to avoid blinding oncoming cars.



Toyota's Prius is a sentimental favorite among the eco-conscious, and this latest model proves that a fuel-efficient hybrid car can be a viable alternative to an ordinary midsize sedan for many consumers. Not only is the interior vastly improved over the previous model, the new Prius gets even better mileage: It's now rated at 51/48 mpg city/highway, 50 mpg combined.



And already a popular model in Europe, the Volkswagen Polo is set to make its U.S. debut sometime this year, just in time to compete with the newest small and sporty hatchbacks from the likes of Ford and Nissan, or even the already-available Kia Soul. The fifth-generation Polo that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show is purported to closely resemble the North American version of the car, but so far automotive writers and bloggers can only speculate on the VW Polo's look, feel and arrival date. Rumor has it the U.S. Volkswagen Polo will have a four-door hatchback style with at least two engine options and front-wheel drive.



Vehicles up for the World Performance Car award must meet the same criteria as WCOTY — currently in production and sold on at least two continents in 2009 — with the additional requirement of demonstrating specific performance attributes as well as selling at a minimum annual production rate of 500 vehicles. The finalists in this category are the Audi R8 V10, Ferrari California and Porsche 911 GT3.

The World Green Car finalists are the Honda Insight, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen BlueMotion vehicles (Golf, Passat, Polo), while the finalists for the World Car Design are the Chevrolet Camaro, Citroen C3 Picasso and Kia Soul.