Presenting the Business Standard Motoring Awards 2011
Business Standard Motoring did the first Car Of The Year award in the country, and in the years since then, the awards have grown from strength to strength, both in scope and in importance. The Business Standard Motoring Awards 2011 took place in Mumbai on January 10, with the who’s who of the automobile industry making their presence felt at the event. The competition was intense this year, with a whole host of high-quality contenders battling for top honours , and the jury certainly had their task cut out. Here then is our list of winners from the 11 categories awarded that night.
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING CAR OF THE YEAR 2011
VOLKSWAGEN POLO
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING JURY SPECIAL 2011
The Ford Figo may not have walked away with the big one, but it gave a tough fight to the eventual winner, nevertheless. The Figo’s combination of space, ride and handling, a punchy and efficient diesel motor and a frugal petrol motor as well as price made it a winner in its own right. Not only has Ford managed to turn a corner with the Figo, it has offered a package that is competitive on the cost of running and maintenance fronts too. A credible win indeed!
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BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING SCOOTER OF THE YEAR 2011
There was only one nominee in this category, but even though it was a winner in a field of one, there was no denying that it was a very worthy winner indeed. The TVS Wego comes with great styling, comfort, riding pleasure and fuel efficiency and rightly walked away with the title of Scooter Of The Year.
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING PREMIUM CAR OF THE YEAR 2011
How do you beat a sibling? Well, you make that package really unbeatable, right? That’s exactly what the BMW 5 Series proved in front of the mighty and incredible Rolls-Royce Ghost. It even managed to upstage the Jaguar XJ and Mercedes-Benz’ twins — the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet. So how did it do that? By ensuring it has five engine options — three petrol and two diesel — a whole host of equipment, a very settled ride, lots of interior space and all of this at a price that is just right. The fact that BMW has left no stone unturned with the car for India went on to help seal the deal for BMW.
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING SUV OF THE YEAR 2011
We’ve been lucky to have some of the finest off-road machines in the world, like the Maruti Gypsy, Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan Jonga. This year, there were three remarkable machines to pick from in this category. The Tata Aria is a quantum leap for Tata cars and comes with little touches and features that make it a winner.
The Skoda Yeti was off-beat and brilliant off-road. But the Hyundai Santa Fe managed to do everything it needed to just a little bit better and trounced the competition.
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING AUTOMOTIVE PIONEER OF THE YEAR 2011
This award is meant to celebrate the giant strides that the automotive industry has taken in terms of technology and innovation. Gone are the days when seat-belts were a safety feature to boast about and air-conditioning was a luxury. From just being cleaner and greener to coming equipped with radar-guided cruise control, the nominees in this category had it all. The Honda VFR1200, TVS Jive, Nissan Micra and Tata Aria were the competition, but the Volvo XC60 had it all — it’s the safest car in the country, with unmatched active and passive safety features, and thus walked away with the trophy for Automotive Pioneer Of The Year.
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING MOTORSPORT EXCELLENCE AWARD 2011
Motorsport in the country has been a bit of a step-child, with little support from major companies and not much by way of paving the way forward for drivers and riders to take the next step into the international arena. Enter Volkswagen Motorsport. The organisers of the Volkswagen Polo Cup Races, Volkswagen Motorsport has taken several initiatives to ensure motorsport in the country prospers. From bringing in the best equipment and expertise, to dedicated personnel and training and selecting the best talent in the country, Volkswagen Motorsport has provided a platform for upcoming drivers to eventually test their skills against the best in the world. For this, they fully deserve the award.
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING BIKE OF THE YEAR 2011
HONDA CB TWISTER
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING PREMIUM SUV OF THE YEAR 2011
It’s hard, especially when you are a class-leader, to keep a good thing going. However, it seems Porsche has a habit of ensuring it stays at the top of the heap, staying ahead of the likes of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, Mercedes-Benz GL and Volvo’s XC60 — all incredibly good SUVs in their own right. The new Cayenne is dripping in luxury, with exemplary build quality, a fantastic range of motors and faultless dynamics. Not only is it great on road, it is competent enough off-road too. From a diesel option to petrol motors and even a hybrid, Porsche has gone the whole hog and offered its entire range in India. Kudos to Porsche India!
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING IMPORT BIKE OF THE YEAR 2011
What a year it’s been for bikers and biking enthusiasts! 2010 saw the entry of import bikes that we’ve been dreaming of for ages, like the Yamaha VMax, Ducati 1198, Suzuki GSX-1000R, Suzuki Bandit, Honda VFR1200, Harley-Davidson XL1200N Nightster, Harley-Davidson Road King and Harley-Davidson Softail Heritage Classic. The Harley-Davidson Nightster struck the right chord with the jury though, and won the title of Import Bike Of The Year. It sums up everything about the Harley legend, in one low-slung, aggressive and accessible package.
BUSINESS STANDARD MOTORING PERFORMANCE CAR OF THE YEAR 2011
This one is an award that we at BSM love the most, quite simply because it goes to cars that we love the most — cars that combine speed, power, amazing engineering, incredible passion, drop-dead good looks and that touch of madness that is a part of BSM. This year, the nominees were the Nissan 370Z, Mitsubishi Evo X, Bugatti Veyron and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The winner was the SLS AMG, a worthy successor to the famed 300SL; this gullwing stole the judges’ hearts because of its stunning mix of brutal power,amazing looks and incredible everyday useability!