Milene Rios (pictured), a Brazilian journalist, has joined Women’s Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY), becoming the 86th judge to take part in the awards group.

Judges from 55 countries vote to decide the year’s best cars, considering factors such as price, quality and environmental impact.

The award is the world’s only automotive award series judged only by women.

Categories range from best Large SUV (won by the Hyundai Santa Fe) to the Sandy Myhre Award; for the brand that shows the most commitment to women, which was awarded to Volvo.

Milene has a two-decade career in automotive journalism, currently presenting ‘Autoesporte’, a Brazilian motoring TV show.

Autoesporte is Brazil’s longest running automotive TV show, covering everything from market statistics to car reviews.

Milene will join Isadora Carvalho to represent Brazil at WWCOTY.

Brazil is an growing global market for cars, with new vehicle sales increasing by 14% last year, marking a recovery to pre-Covid figures.