The winners of the 2012 World Car of the Year awards have been announced at the New York International Auto Show and the top accolade has been awarded to the Volkswagen Up.

VW’s well-packaged small hatchback beat the other two finalists, the BMW 3-series and the Porsche 911, which themselves were chosen from among 34 contenders. The jurors chose the Up because of the new standards for its segment – notably with its steering, suspension engines and quality of materials – remarking, “Never before in this economy segment have owners felt so premium.”

The Porsche 911 didn’t come away empty-handed though, bagging the title of World Performance Car of the Year and emerging victorious over the very capable runners up, the Lamborghini Aventador and McLaren MP4-12C. The latest 991-generation 911 is practically an all-new car, with an all-new chassis and an aluminium body. It has received much acclaim from the motoring press and now has this significant credential to its name.

The title of World Green Car of the Year has been given to the Mercedes-Benz S250 CDI BlueEfficiency. The first ever four-cylinder S-class in the company’s history took the top spot over the Ford Focus Electric and the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid. Mercedes claims class leading emissions and fuel economy of just 149g/km of CO₂ and 5.7l/100km (17.5kpl) respectively.

Last but not least, the World Car Design of the Year award was given to the Range Rover Evoque. The production Evoque’s striking shape remained virtually unchanged from the futuristic looking LRX concept that previewed it, and is able to turn heads on any street. The other two finalists in this category were the Volkswagen Up and the Citroen DS5.

The finalists and winners were selected by a panel comprised of 66 top-level automotive journalists, including Autocar India editor Hormazd Sorabjee and The Autocar Show’s Renuka Kirpalani, from 25 countries around the world, appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of their expertise, experience, credibility, and influence.