Top cat pounces on 2017 world car award
WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR/ Jaguar’s first SUV, the F-Pace, surprises even the bosses after taking top honours
Jaguar dominated the 2017 World Car of the Year awards, netting two trophies, including the overall award. A shocked Jaguar Land Rover boss, Ralph Speth, accepted the overall award and the World Car Design award for Jaguar’s first SUV at a breakfast to open the New York International Auto Show.
Despite more than 100 new cars being launched in 2017, the three finalists for the world car award were SUVs, with Jaguar’s F-Pace beating the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Audi Q5.
The 13th annual World Car of the Year awards reflected sales trends which confirmed traditional sedans, wagons and hatches continuing to give way to the SUV surge.
SOMETHING SPECIAL
“I am overwhelmed. JLR is just a small company; a family. We just want to do something special to delight our customers and this proves we are on the right track,” Speth said.
“Thank you to the engineers for delivering this combination of art, design, engineering integrity and innovation to provide our customers with something special.”
Jaguar director of design Ian Callum said: “The F-Pace is our first ever SUV but it is clearly recognisable as a Jaguar and for it to win the 2017 World Car of the Year trophy vindicates our decision to bring our design principles and dynamic qualities to a new sector of the market.”
UNTHINKABLE
Awards juror, director and vicechairman Mike Rutherford said: “Jaguar has done the unthinkable by first securing the World Car Design of the Year award, then lifting the big one — the overall World Car of the Year trophy.
“With F-Pace, the British company and its proud and talented workers have taken on and beaten far bigger, wealthier European, Asian and North American rivals.”
The latest version of BMW’s i3 took the inaugural World Urban Car of the Year award ahead of the Suzuki Ignis and the Citroen C3.
The F-Pace collected its World Car Design trophy ahead of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and the Toyota C-HR.
Toyota surprised Tesla by toppling the cult electric-car favourite to win the World Green Car trophy, upsetting its heavily hyped Model X with the Prius Prime. Chevrolet’s Bolt came in second.
Porsche’s venture into turbocharged four-cylinder boxerengine power for the Cayman/ Boxster twins paid off, with the mid-engined German favourite beating Audi’s R8 Spyder and the McLaren 570S to win the World Performance Car of the Year category
Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class beat the BMW 5-Series and the Volvo S90/V90 to win the World Luxury Car trophy.
To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates must be available for sale on at least two continents from January 1 2016 to May 31 2017.
This year, vehicles were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprising 75 automotive journalists from 23 countries, including Motor News contributor Michael Taylor.
Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility and influence.
Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work.
Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of millions worldwide. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates jurors’ ballots.
Previous World Car of the Year winners were the Mazda MX-5 (2016), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2015), Audi A3 (2014), Volkswagen Golf (2013), Volkswagen Up (2012), Nissan Leaf (2011), Volkswagen Polo (2010), Volkswagen Golf (2009), Mazda2 (2008), Lexus LS460 (2007), BMW 3 Series (2006) and Audi A6 (2005).