THE Kia Niro has been named the Women's World Car of the Year and shortlisted for the top spot in the World Car of the Year finals.

The accolades come as the Niro was praised by judges in the women's honours for its overall performance and practical appeal.

It was also voted best urban car while other category winners were the Jeep Avenger in the family SUV class, the Citroen C5 X in the large car section, the Nissan X-Trail in the large SUV segment while the Audi RS 3 was named best performance car and the Ford Ranger the top 4x4.

In the World Car of the Year competition, the Niro lines up against the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric SUV and the BMW X1/iX1 which are in the running to take the title when the winner is announced at the New York Auto Show on April 5.

The World Car of the Year is judged by 100 motoring journalists from 32 countries while the Womens World Car of the Year panel is made up of 63 female motoring writers from 43 countries.