Mercedes-Benz walked away with three World Car Awards at the New York Auto Show including the 2015 World Car of the Year.
The Mercedes C-class was awarded the World Car of the Year award beating the Ford Mustang and the VW Passat, which incidentally won the 2015 European Car of the Year award in the final round. Jurors said that the new C-class' "all-new aluminium/steel hybrid platform and updated rear-drive powertrains deliver levels of refinement, luxury, safety, ride and handling that challenge best-in-class."
Mercedes-Benz also won the World Luxury Car award with the S-class Coupe winning against the likes of the BMW i8 and Range Rover Autobiography Black LWB in a group of 12 cars. Speaking about the new S-class Coupe the jury said that Mercedes' design and technology formed a "marriage that is more happy than ever" and that there was "no better car to prove it than this stunningly beautiful derivative of the S-class, available with powerful, turbocharged V-8 and V-12 engines."
In the performance category the Mercedes-Benz AMG-GT won the World Performance Car of the Year beating the likes of the BMW M4 coupe and Jaguar F-Type R coupe in the final round. Talking about the car the jurors said that the AMG-GT's "on-road presence alone is almost enough to qualify it as a ‘Top 3’ finalist. But in addition to its ruggedly handsome looks it has an impressive spec sheet comprising biturbo 4.0-litre V8 engine, seven speed dual-clutch transmission, 456bhp (minimum)...and much, much more."
In the World Green Car of the Year award the BMW i8 beat its competitors making it the company's second World Green Car of the Year award in as many years. The i8 went up against eight competitors that included the Mercedes S 500 plug-in hybrid and VW Golf GTE.
The last of the five awards the World Car Design of the Year was won by the Citroen C4 Cactus making it the company's sixth top three finish in the design category since the inception of the award. The C4 Cactus went up against the likes of the Mercedes C-class and Volvo's new XC90 in the final round.
source:-
www.autocarindia.com
BMW i8 adjudged 2015 World Green Car
At the ongoing New York auto show, the BMW i8 has been declared the 2015 World Green Car. BMW’s hybrid sportscar was chosen from an initial list of 10 new vehicles from across the globe. It finally boiled down to three cars – the BMW i8, the Mercedes-Benz S 500 Plug-In Hybrid and the Volkswagen Golf GTE.
To best judge the advanced and complex ‘green’ technologies, five experts in the field were appointed for the review procedure, before the judging panel consisting of 75 automotive journalists from around the world, got to vote. Finally, the ballots were tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.
To be eligible for the World Green Car award, a vehicle had to be all-new, or substantially revised, in production and a minimum of 10 units should have been sold or leased out in at least one major market, during the period beginning January 1, 2014 and ending May 31, 2015. Emissions, fuel consumption, and the advanced nature of the powertrain used, were all taken into consideration.
The BMW i8 was lauded for the fact that it was able to deliver a lot of enjoyment, while also scoring high for its environment-friendly credentials.
The car has recently been launched in India priced at Rs 2.29 crore (ex-showroom, India).
Citreon C4 Cactus awarded 2015 World Car Design of the Year
The CITROEN C4 CACTUS was declared the 2015 World Car Design of the Year at this year’s New York International Auto Show.
Citroen won the inaugural 2006 World Car Design of the Year with the C4 and has been a “Top Three in the World” finalist in the world design category a total of 6 times out of 10 including this year, where the C4 Cactus beat the Mercedes C-class and new Volvo XC90 to the award.
The World Car Awards are meant to highlight new vehicles with innovation and style that push established boundaries.
Candidates for the World Car Design of the Year award must be available in quantities of at-least 10 units in any major market during the period from January 1, 2014 and March 31, 2015. The cars can be pre-production or all-new production.
A design panel consisting of five highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors.
The experts called the Cactus "a truly innovative piece of design" with its "distinct exterior" that included slender headlamps and unique 'air bumps' to protect against parking scrapes. On the inside the car featured minimum switches with most controls shifted to a touch screen mounted on the centre console. The experts said that the Cactus design was "a proper breath of fresh air."
Previous winners of the World Car Design of the Year award were the BMW i3 (2014), the Jaguar F-Type(2013) , the Range Rover Evoque (2012), the AstonMartin Rapide (2011), the Chevrolet Camaro (2010), the Fiat 500 (2009), the Audi R8 (2008), the Audi TT (2007) and the Citroen C4 (2006).
Volkswagen confirms return of classic Camper van
Speaking at the New York Auto Show, Volkswagen board member Dr Heinz-Jakob Neusser has revealed that the company is currently developing a Camper van concept powered by an electric motor.
He told our sister publication, Autocar UK, that the design of the original VW van was "so iconic" that any attempt at a new model would have to have three "very important" design cues: "First the wide, solid, D-Pillar; second, the boxy design of the centre section and; thirdly, the front end must have a very short overhang. The distance from the A-pillar to the front end must be very short."
Neusser said that to achieve the unique front-end design, the company’s engineers decided to use an electric motor, as it allowed a much lower bonnet line than a conventional engine. The result of this was that the A-pillar could sit much further up than in a conventional MPV.
He has also said that the concept car currently under development could be tuned into a production model.
Source :-
www.autocarindia.com