46 car writers from around the world have accepted the daunting challenge of naming the ‘2006 World Car of the Year’. The result will be as subjective as any such award, but that doesn’t it make it any less fun to follow. After initially considering 27 cars for the award, they have whittled it down to just 10. The winner will be unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April. There are no particular trends or bias to notice, since the cars come from 9 different makers and represent everything from the very small to the fairly large, and the practical to the extravagant. With the possible exception of the Suzuki Swift, there are no real surprises.

The nominees are:

- BMW 3-Series
- Honda Civic / Civic Hybrid
- Land Rover Range Rover Sport
- Lexus IS
- Mazda MX-5
- Mercedes-Benz M-Class
- Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Porsche Cayman S
- Suzuki Swift
- Volkswagen Passat