The Road to the World Car Awards begins for the World Luxury Car

Since the very first World Car Awards 14 years ago, the German manufacturers have dominated and of those German manufacturers, Audi has taken home over half of all the awards, much to the annoyance of BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen and so on. This offers promise to the brand new Audi A7 which was released this year and positions itself as an ultra-luxurious coupe-saloon, rivalling the Mercedes CLS. The A7 is close to the A6 saloon in design and size however the sloped roofline makes it notably easier on the eye, and the A7 also has a hatchback-style boot which adds to the practicality. The A7 was launched solely with a V6 petrol engine which packs plenty of power and goes from 0-60 in just 5.2 seconds, but the exquisite refinement levels and impeccable interior quality is what qualifies the A7 for the World Luxury Car. The A7 is on sale now and prices start from £47,140.

Another one from Audi makes the shortlist for the World Luxury Car of the Year, this time the brand new Audi Q8 SUV. It tops Audi’s Q-range as the most practical and luxurious model in the lineup, offering a more sporty alternative to the gigantic Audi Q7. Prices start from £65,040 for the S-Line Q8 but the Vorsprung model, starting from £83,790 is probably the best-equipped SUV on the market this side of a Bentley Bentayga. 22 inch rims, HD LED headlights, panoramic sunroof, electric sunblinds, ‘Super Sport’ seats, Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System and Audi’s new Digital Dash system are all provided as standard on the Vorsprung spec, and to be honest only the fussiest of buyers will ever need to venture into the optional extras.

As mentioned, the Audi Q8 is on sale now and prices start from £65,040

Finally, the new 8 Series is on sale. This new ultra-luxurious grand tourer dwarfs the already titanic BMW 6 Series and takes the top spot in the BMW line-up. The 8 Series launched as a petrol or diesel 2-door coupe boasting the new, angular BMW styling cues and 2 absolutely gaping kidney-grille nostrils. Interestingly, the 8 Series will have all wheel drive and all wheel steering, which is very unlike BMW, but it makes sense. All-wheel steering ensures maximum road-holding and stability at high speeds then the All Wheel Drive ensures that whatever the weather it will be up to the task. Inside, the 8 Series is jam-packed with technology, as you would expect, with the highlight being the new and improved iDrive system which works in combination with the best heads-up display on the market as well as the TFT-adjustable dashboard which is a geeky playground in itself. All in all, the technology is overwhelming but is the BMW’s interior enough to take the crown as the World Luxury Car? We’ll see...

The BMW 8 Series is on sale now and prices start from £76,270.

The first generation CLS was like nothing we had ever seen before when it was released 15 years ago. The CLS coined the coupe-saloon body styling and it has been relatively unrivalled ever since. The Audi A7 comes close, but not quite. In 2018 we’ve been treated to a brand new CLS and, well, it is just as jaw-dropping as the first one. The platform of the new CLS is taken from the tried and tested E-Class but new chassis technology and electrified powertrains help set this car apart from the Mercedes saloon range. From launch, only 3 engines were made available and they were all 6-cylinder units with bags of torque to provide progressive wafting capabilities and elegant driving characteristics. 2.0-litre diesel models come shortly after and will occupy the bulk of CLS sales. Inside, the CLS is much like the E Class saloon. In fact, they’re as good as identical, which is no bad thing. The CLS will have two big, 12.3 inch screens on the dash, one is a beautiful touchscreen and the other is a fully adjustable cockpit dashboard. Ambient lighting is standard, the air vents are illuminated and the seats are unique for the CLS model, and they’re incredibly adjustable and ergonomic.

The CLS is on sale now and prices start from £51,870

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE hasn’t even hit the showrooms yet and deliveries aren't expected until Springtime, but the new GLE has already been shortlisted for World Luxury Car of the Year thanks to the promise shown from the demonstration model which was debuted at the end of October. The GLE is now 20mm longer than the previous model and seats up to 7 adults in supreme comfort. Naturally, it is also beautifully designed on both the exterior and interior and the cockpit revolves around the new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) technology which includes the two 12.3 inch screens controlling pretty much everything. The spec list is pretty all-encompassing to. Expect full leather, massive alloys, sat-nav, full connectivity, heated seats and active headlights all as standard. You can see why this car has been shortlisted just a week or two after it was unveiled. The order books are open and the GLE is on sale now from £55,685.

And last but certainly not least is the new Volkswagen Touareg. We’ll address the elephant in the room first; Volkswagen is perhaps the least prestigious manufacturer compared to the others nominated in this category, but it’s what’s inside that counts. The Touareg is built on the Volkswagen platform which lies beneath a few other cars you might have heard of. The Lamborghini Urus, the Bentley Bentayga, the Audi Q7 - ring any bells? The Touareg certainly deserves to be nominated for the World Luxury Car because its underpinnings are truly remarkable. The ride is sublime, the fit-and-finish of the car is faultless, the engines are refined and near-silent and there’s just so much to love about the Touareg. Don’t rule out the underdog in this ultra-competitive class.

The Touareg is on sale now with prices starting from £48,995