New Car’s 2010 Awards Issue on the Shelves Now

Oct. 9, 2009 - PRLog -- The current issue of ‘new car,’ Ireland’s leading motoring title from the publishers of Car Buyers Guide (http://www.cbg.ie),  announces the winners of its prestigious New Car of the Year Awards for 2010. The winner, runner-up and third-placed vehicle in each of the 21 categories are the subject of insightful comment from respected Irish motoring journalist Conor Twomey, and four new categories have been added for this year: the Green Car, Best Engine, Brand Commitment to Safety and Overall Safety Awards. The four new awards for 2010 are intended to laud those vehicles that best address the main concerns of modern car buyers. The environmental impact of your vehicle has taken on even greater importance since the introduction of the emissions-based VRT and Road Tax regime in July 2008, and the new Toyota Prius is a worthy winner of the magazine’s inaugural Green Car Award. Better looking, roomier, faster, better handling and cleaner than ever before, the third-generation Prius has finally achieved the perfect balance between performance and economy. The Best Engine Award, meanwhile, was scooped up by BMW’s 2.0-litre ‘EfficientDynamics’ turbo-diesel unit, which, with CO2 emissions of just 109g/km but the ability to deliver a sprightly 0–100km/h time of 8.2 seconds, impressed as a clean option that doesn’t require the driver to compromise on performance or fun. The two new safety awards, which were presented in association with the Road Safety Authority (RSA), were won by the same manufacturer, as Honda garnered both the Brand Commitment to Safety Award and the Overall Safety Award for the Insight. Presenting the Brand Commitment to Safety Award to Honda Marketing Manager Neil Dalton, RSA Chief Executive Noel Brett commented, “Honda’s unswerving devotion to safety in its vehicles is illustrated by the impressive NCAP safety ratings across its entire range, and all its models boast commendable occupant and child-protection ratings, too.”

Notable results among the returning categories include the Kia Soul’s eyebrow-raising second place, after the VW Golf, in the Family Car category. Seen in the past as a budget option, the Korean manufacturer has created a funky alternative to the traditional family car that has edged out previous segment mainstays Toyota and Ford. In the Crossover category, Peugeot hit the ground running as its 3008, the French marque’s first foray into this segment, pushed the formerly all-conquering Nissan Qashqai into second place, while a glimpse of things to come is offered in the SUV category, where the Lexus RX450H, a hybrid no less, beat the Range Rover Sport and BMW X1, perhaps heralding a sea change in what has been seen, traditionally, as the least environmentally friendly segment.

And change was also in the air as ‘new car’ announced its overall winner for 2010. In what is, perhaps, a reflection of these more austere times, Toyota’s quirky city car, the iQ, couldn’t be more removed from last year’s overall winner, the opulent BMW 7-Series, but its elegantly simple concept, brilliant execution and impressively low running costs make it worthy of this year’s top spot.


New Car’s 2010 Awards – Full List of This Year’s Winners

City Car: Toyota iQ

Supermini: Ford Fiesta

Family Car: VW Golf

Large Family Car: Opel Insignia

People Carrier: Ford S-Max/Galaxy

Crossover: Peugeot 3008

Compact Executive Car: Audi A5 Sportback

Large Executive Car: BMW 5-Series

Luxury Car: Porsche Panamera

Luxury Crossover/SUV: Lexus RX450H

Executive Convertible: Audi A5 Convertible

Convertible/Cabriolet: Fiat 500C

Roadster: Mazda MX-5

Coupé/Sportscar: VW Scirocco

Hot Hatch: Ford Focus RS

Performance Car: Porsche 911 GT3

Green Car: Toyota Prius

Best Engine: BMW 2.0-litre ‘EfficientDynamics’ turbo diesel

Brand Commitment to Safety: Honda

Overall Safety: Honda Insight

Overall Winner: Toyota iQ

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