Nissan Leaf is 2011 World Car of the Year

Congratulations Nissan! The hugely-hyped, 100% electric, zero-emission 'Leaf' has been selected as the World Car of the Year 2011. In the final round of polling, the Nissan Leaf garnered more votes than the other two finalists, the Audi A8 and BMW 5 Series, quite formidable competitors I would say.

By winning the World Car of the Year title, the Nissan Leaf has become the recipient of two significant automotive awards this year. Remember that the Leaf was voted the European Car of the Year 2011 a few months back. Its just a case of history repeating itself as Volkswagen Polo did the same and won both the awards last year.

The results were announced at the 2011 New York International Auto Show a couple fo days back. The other awards announced were as follows:

* World Car of the Year - Nissan Leaf (Audi A8, BMW 5 Series)
* World Performance Car of the Year - Ferrari 458 Italia (Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Porsche 911 Turbo)
* World Green Car of the Year - Chevrolet Volt (Nissan Leaf, BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics)
* World Design of the Year - Aston Martin Rapide (Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Ferrari 458 Italia)

The models inside the braces were the other finalists that ended runners up in the respective categories. Isn't it ironical that the Nissan Leaf, the big-winner of 2011, ended up a distant third in the North American Car of the Year awards behind the Chevrolet Volt and the Hyundai Sonata?

2011 North American Car & Truck of the Year Award Winners announced

The winners of the 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year titles were announced recently at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. And the winners, as predicted, were the Chevrolet Volt and the Ford Explorer. This is the 18th year of these awards, which are designed to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. These vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.



After winning a multitude of awards, the Chevrolet Volt, rather least surprisingly, takes this most prestigious title too. By the way, this should make the Volt the first proper electric car to win this award. The highly-acclaimed and super-successful Hyundai Sonata ended up second in the title fight while the Nissan Leaf, the 2011 European Car of the Year award-winner, ended up last.

2011 NACOTY RESULTS:

1. Chevrolet Volt - 233

2. Hyundai Sonata - 163

3. Nissan Leaf - 94



PREVIOUS NACOTY WINNERS:

* 2010 - Ford Fusion Hybrid

* 2009 - Hyundai Genesis

* 2008 - Chevrolet Malibu 

* 2007 - Saturn Aura
* 2006 - Honda Civic

Its a ha-trick of NATOTY awards for Ford, this time with the redesigned all-new Explorer taking the honors. Though GM had two finalists, one each from Jeep and Dodge, the Ford managed to trounce them in the final standings. Jeep Grand Cherokee came in a distant second while the Dodge Durango ended up last in the standings.

2011 NATOTY RESULTS:
1. Ford Explorer - 253
2. Jeep Grand Cherokee - 138
3. Dodge Durango - 99

PREVIOUS NATOTY WINNERS:
* 2010 - Ford Transit Connect
* 2009 - Ford F-150
* 2008 - Mazda CX-9
* 2007 - Chevrolet Silverado
* 2006 - Honda Ridgeline

2011 North American Car & Truck of the Year Finalists Announced

Its that time of the year again when new cars and trucks from across the globe compete among themselves for various titles being given away by a whole lot of automotive publications. Among the significant, tough-to-win titles are the North American Car of the Year & Truck of the Year awards. So, when finalists for such prestigious titles are announced, it ought to be noticed. The models which have been shortlisted for 2011 awards are Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Leaf in cars and Dodge Durango, Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee in trucks.

The awards are unique because instead of being given by a single media outlet, they are awarded by a group of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada representing magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites. To be eligible, a vehicle must be 'all new' or 'substantially changed' from the previous model year.

Though my heart beats for Hyundai Sonata to take the title in the cars category with its Regular, Turbo and Hybrid variants for the sole reason of shaking up the established midsize sedan segment, my mind shouts that its going to be the revolutionary Chevrolet Volt taking the top step. The fact that the Volt has already won quite a few individual Car of the Year titles and the Nissan Leaf has already been declared 2011 European Car of the Year doesn't help matters either. Amongst the trucks, in all probability, Ford Explorer should be taking the title though there are good chances of the Jeep Grand Cherokee springing in a surprise.

Both the awards, in their 18th year currently, will be announced at the North American International Auto Show at Detroit on January 10. Last year, Ford made a clean sweep of the awards with its Fusion Hybrid and Transit Connect taking the respective titles. Let the countdown begin!

2011 ICOTY & IMOTY Awards announced

The recipients of India’s most prestigious automotive honors, the Indian Car of the Year and Indian Motorcycle of the Year 2011 were announced recently. This is the sixth edition of this annual event which has been modeled along the likes of European and North American Car of the Year titles. With journalists from top automotive publications across the country like Overdrive, Auto Bild, Top Gear, Car India, BS Motoring and Auto India being the jurors, Ford Figo and Honda CBF Stunner have come out on tops.

Apart from the Ford Figo, the final contenders for the ICOTY title included models like Volkswagen Polo and Vento, Tata Aria, Skoda Yeti, Nissan Micra, Chevrolet Beat and Maruti-Suzuki Wagon-R. When the final tally was declared, the Figo had comfortably trounced the competitors with a comfortable margin. It has not only lived up to the hype that it created with Ford’s CEO Mr. Alan Mulally himself unveiling the car to the Indian public, but has also exceeded the expectations with over 60,000 units sold since launch. It has won the acclaim of critics and customers alike and has given Ford unprecedented volume and growth in India.



2011 ICOTY RESULTS:



1. Ford Figo – 83

2. Volkswagen Vento – 57

3. Volkswagen Polo / Skoda Yeti – 37



PREVIOUS ICOTY WINNERS:



    * 2010 – Tata Nano

    * 2009 – Honda City

    * 2008 – Hyundai i10

    * 2007 – Honda Civic

    * 2006 – Maruti-Suzuki Swift



Unlike the ICOTY award, there seemed to be a slug fest for the IMOTY 2011 title with the Honda CB Twister taking the crown by a meager margin of 3 points. This latest offering from Honda has brought style, flair and refinement which are unheard of in the mass market commuter bike segment. Bajaj’s critically acclaimed, feature-laden, sporty yet efficient Pulsar 135 LS made life difficult for the CB Twister by finishing a close second with TVS’s technologically-superior Jive finishing third. The other finalists for the award included Bajaj Discover 150, Mahindra Stallio and TVS Max4R.  



2011 IMOTY RESULTS:



1. Honda CB Twister – 66

2. Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS – 63

3. TVS Jive - 48



PREVIOUS IMOTY WINNERS:



    * 2010 – Kawasaki Ninja 250R

    * 2009 – Yamaha YZR R15

    * 2008 – Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi

2011 European Car of the Year is Nissan Leaf

For the first time in the history of Europe's most prestigious automotive award, a zero-emission electric car, the Nissan Leaf has been chosen as the Car of the Year for 2011. This is the second time Nissan is getting this coveted title after the Micra won the award in 1993. Mr. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan accepted the honor by saying, "This award recognizes the pioneering zero-emission Nissan Leaf as competitive to conventional cars in terms of safety, performance, spaciousness and handling. It also reflects Nissan's standing as an innovative and exciting brand with a clear vision of the future of transportation, which we call sustainable mobility."

A total of 41 models launched in 2010 were eligible for the title initially which were then trimmed down to seven final contenders. The Nissan Leaf ultimately took the title after the jurors proclaimed that it is a breakthrough for electric cars and that it is the first electric vehicle that can match conventional cars in many respects. It was a close contest though, with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Opel/Vauxhall Meriva giving the Leaf tough competition.

 

2011 ECOTY Results :

1. Nissan Leaf (257)


2. Alfa Romeo Giulietta (248)


3. Opel/Vauxhall Meriva (244)


4. Ford C-Max/Grand C-Max (224)


5. Citroen C3/DS3 (175)


6. Volvo S60/V60 (145)


7. Dacia Duster (132)

Previous ECOTY Winners :

• 2010 Volkswagen Polo


• 2009 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia


• 2008 Fiat 500


• 2007 Ford S-Max


• 2006 Renault Clio

The jury for "European Car of the Year 2011" consisted of automotive journalists representing 23 European countries. The seven organizers of this annual title are prominent automotive publications such as Auto (Italy), Autocar (UK), Autopista (Spain), Autovisie (Holland), L'Automobile Magazine (France), Stern (Germany) and Vi Bilagare (Sweden).

VW Polo is 2010 World Car of the Year

I think I have what it takes to become a successful automotive journalist in the future. There were quite a few eyebrows raised when, as per my initial forecast, the Ford Fusion became the 2010 North American Car of the Year and the Volkswagen Polo won the 2010 European Car of the Year award. This time again, I have been spot-on in guessing the eventual winner of yet another important title. Personal kudos apart, coming to the big news, as predicted in my earlier post, the just-launched in India Volkswagen Polo has won the 2010 World Car of the Year award. 

The World Car of the Year award aims to combine the attributes of all the regional and individual publication's titles to crown the best car in the world that has been launched the previous year. The Volkswagen Polo took the top honors among the 3 finalists, which included the Mercedes-Benz E Class and the Toyota Prius. The award was announced in the New York International Auto Show that's taking place in New York currently. The other awards announced were as follows:

• World Car of the Year - Volkswagen Polo (Mercedes-Benz E Class, Toyota Prius)


• World Performance Car of the Year - Audi R8 V10 (Porsche 911 GT3, Ferrari California)


• World Design of the Year - Chevrolet Camaro (Kia Soul, Citroen C3 Picasso)


• World Green Car of the Year - Volkswagen Blue Motion Cars (Toyota Prius, Honda Insight)

The cars mentioned in the braces were the ones that made it into the Top 3 Finalists in each of the above categories. Way to go Volkswagen!

2010 World Car of the Year finalists announced

The World Car Awards have become the most prestigious award programme in the world rewarding automotive excellence on an international scale. Inaugurated in the year 2004, the motive of this programme is to complement the already existing regional and national Car of the Year awards. The World Car Awards are presented in the following categories:

• World Car of the Year


• World Performance Car of the Year


• World Car Design of the Year &


• World Green Car of the Year 

For the year 2010, an international panel of 59 automotive journalists have already shortlisted the Top 10 Cars which are competing for the first two award categories. The finalists in each of the two categories are listed below:

World Car of the Year Finalists:

• Audi Q5


• BMW X1


• Chevrolet Cruze


• Kia Soul


• Mazda 3


• Mercedes-Benz E-Class


• Opel/Vauxhall Insignia / Buick Regal


• Porsche Panamera


• Toyota Prius


• Volkswagen Polo

World Performance Car of the Year Finalists: 

• Aston-Martin V12 Vantage


• Audi R8 V10


• Audi TT RS Coupe/Roadster


• BMW Z4


• Ferrari California


• Jaguar XFR


• Lotus Evora


• Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG


• Nissan 370Z


• Porsche 911 GT3


• Porsche Boxster/Cayman

The above top cars from both categories will undergo a series of rigorous evaluation and will be rated for Overall Merit, Value, Safety, Environmental Responsibility, Emotional Appeal and Significance. A final shortlist of 3 cars from each category will be selected from which the winner will be chosen. The winners for the remaining two award categories will be chosen from recommendations by global design and auto experts among the finalists.

The winners for 2009 were Volkswagen Golf and Nissan GT-R respectively. For this year, my bet is on Mercedes-Benz E-Class or Volkswagen Polo to take the crown as Car of the Year. Will Volkswagen make it two in a row? Wait for the results to be announced on April-01-2010 at the New York International Auto Show.

2010 ICOTY & IMOTY Awards announced

Though the 2010 ICOTY & IMOTY titles have been announced almost a month back, constant traveling at the beginning of the year kept me extremely busy to post it on time. Nevertheless, it's an important event which couldn't be left out without posting either.



Modeled along the likes of the North American, European and Japanese Car of the Year awards, all the major automotive publications in the country, along with JK Tyre have instituted these awards which is now recognized in the international level. Now in it's fifth year of running, the 2010 Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) and Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) award-winners have been announced. No surprises in both the categories, as Tata Nano and the Kawasaki Ninja 250R have been selected for the top honors in the country. It's ironical to know the fact that the title-winning bike is costlier than the car selected for the title. In fact, you can get two Tata Nanos for the price of a Kawasaki Ninja 250R.

 

Tata's diminutive Nano has been on a spree of winning awards including Car of the Year awards from individual automotive publications like Autocar India, Overdrive and the like. The Nano is the height of Indian innovation and by developing this automotive icon, Tata has made the world to crane and look towards Indian engineering. Production constraints apart, there is absolutely no reason why the Nano will not succeed in the domestic level though I am skeptical about it's success in the international arena. (Pic Courtesy: Overdrive)

When Bajaj introduced the Kawasaki Ninja 250R in India, it presented Indians with a gift which they have not received before - "Affordable Sports Biking". Though people with very deep pockets had their choice when it came to sports bikes (Hayabusa, R1, etc.), others were forced to settle for something from the crowded 150cc segment or the monopolized 220cc segment. Hope Bajaj lives up to the hype created by the bike and does not discontinue this bike within months of launching it in the market like it does for most other models.

Ford sweeps 2010 North American Car & Truck of the Year Awards

Ford, the American giant which is on a stunning comeback trail across the world, has made a clean sweep of the 2010 North American Car & Truck of the Year Awards with it's Fusion Hybrid and Transit Connect taking home the titles respectively. Earlier, Honda in 2006 and General Motors in 2007 had won both the titles and this is the third time in the 17-year history of the awards that a single manufacturer becomes the recipient of both the titles.

Of the three car finalists, Ford Fusion Hybrid scored 241 points leaving behind the Volkswagen Golf/TDI/GTI (146 points) and the Buick LaCrosse (103 points). One of the jurors summed up the verdict as "Though not the first hybrid on the market, or even the second or third, The Fusion Hybrid is simply the best one ever built. In addition to delivering terrific mileage, it looks and drives like a regular car - and a very good one indeed."



Amongst the truck finalists, Ford's Transit Connect had 213 points followed by the Chevrolet Equinox (183 points) and the Subaru Outback (94 points). Jim Mateja, of the Chicago Tribune, said "A U-Haul that fits in your garage. Holds people and soooo much of their stuff - bikes, snowmobiles, lawn movers, skis, tents, boats, ladders, furniture, you name it. Defines multi-purpose and boasts a reasonable price even when you add side and rear windows and back seat."

The fact is that both are worthy winners from a deserving manufacturer which is doing almost everything right at the moment. Last year, the North American Car of the Year was the Hyundai Genesis and North American Truck of the Year was Ford F-150. My guess on the title winners turned out to be partially correct with the Fusion Hybrid hitting the bull's eye and the Chevrolet Equinox failing to make the cut.

2010 North American Car & Truck of the Year Finalists Announced

The final contenders for the prestigious 2010 North American Car and Truck Of The Year awards has just been announced. The models which have made the final cut are the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion Hybrid and Volkswagen Golf/GTi in cars and the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect and Subaru Outback in trucks. The winners will be announced on Jan-11-2010 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. One of the above models will be crowned as successors to the 2009 title winners, the Hyundai Genesis and Ford F150 in Cars and Trucks respectively.

The awards, which are in their 17th year, are very special and unique in North America because, instead of being given by a single media outlet, they are given by automotive journalists from USA and Canada representing all sections of the media like websites, television, magazines, etc. The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding vehicles of the year based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. To be eligible, vehicles must be “all-new” or “substantially changed” from the previous model. This year the jury considered more than 50 vehicles and finally focused on 16 cars and 10 trucks.

My bet is on the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Chevrolet Equinox to walk away with the honors for 2010 making it a clean sweep by the domestic automakers. But the jury may pull out a surprise at the Detroit Auto Show. So it's a long wait till Jan-11 to check whether my predictions and guesses are true.

2010 European Car of the Year is VW Polo

VW Polo has been crowned as the "European Car of the Year 2010". The supermini from Volkswagen, Europe's largest and most successful carmaker, narrowly beat the Toyota iQ in the final round of voting.

The result was determined from a group of 33 new cars launched in Europe in 2009 which were tested and voted on by European automotive journalists. The list of contenders included cars such as Suzuki Alto, Hyundai i20 and Kia Soul at one end to Porsche Panamera and Nissan 370Z at the other. A final shortlist of 7 cars was then determined before picking up the decisive winner. The jury for "Car of the Year 2010" consisted of 59 members, representing 23 European countries. The seven organizers of European Car of the Year are prominent automotive publications such as Auto(Italy), Autocar(UK), Autopista(Spain), Autovisie(Holland), L'Automobile Magazine(France), Stern(Germany) and Vi Bilagare(Sweden).

2010 ECOTY Results:

1. Volkswagen Polo (347)


2. Toyota iQ (337)


3. Opel/Vauxhall Astra (221)


4. Skoda Yeti (158)


5. Mercedes-Benz E-Class (155)


6. Peugeot 3008 (144)


7. Citroen C3 Picasso (113)

Previous ECOTY Winners:

• 2009 Opel/Vauxhall Insignia


• 2008 Fiat 500


• 2007 Ford S-Max


• 2006 Renault Clio


• 2005 Toyota Prius

By the way, VW Polo is one of the most awaited cars in India and is expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2010. As if the marketing blitzkrieg of 13-page adverts in Times of India is not enough, here is yet another thing which could be used as a tool to be unleashed in the Indian media. VW. Das Auto.