PLYMOUTH, Mich.—Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and its affiliates will supply all 10 of the World Car of the Year finalists with its seals, components, systems or technologies.
The WCOTY Award is a program initiated, organized and conducted by automotive journalists from around the world.
“As automotive standards and requirements continue to evolve and become more stringent in all areas of the world, Freudenberg-NOK strives to support our global customer base with sealing components and systems that allow them to create award-winning vehicles,” Jeff Michalski, global director of automotive marketing, said in a statement.
The WCOTY Award was inaugurated in 2003 and launched in January 2004 to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale, Freudenberg-NOK said. The finalists for 2015 are:
• BMW 2 Series Active Tourer;
• Citroen C4 Cactus;
• Ford Mustang;
• Hyundai Genesis;
• Jeep Renegade;
• Mazda2;
• Mercedes-Benz C-Class;
• Mini 5-door;
• Nissan Qashqai; and
• Volkswagen Passat.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class was crowned the 2015 WCOTY earlier in the month, Freudenberg-NOK said.
Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies is an Americas joint venture between Freudenberg and Co. in Germany and NOK Corp. in Japan. It produces advanced sealing technologies for a variety of markets, including aerospace, agriculture, appliance, automotive, construction, diesel engine, energy, food and beverage, heavy industry and pharmaceutical. It operates more than 20 facilities across the Americas.