FCA, Mercedes earn top honors at TAWA’s Auto Roundup
The Texas Auto Writers Association held its annual Texas Auto Roundup May 6-8, selecting three best-ofshow winners as well as top picks in individual vehicle categories.
Brand-spanking new models, or first-time entries in the event, have been frequently well received by TAWA’s evaluators and this year was no different: the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio was voted Car of Texas, the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S coupe got the nod for Performance Car of Texas and Family Car of Texas honors went to Chrysler’s 2017 Pacifica Hybrid Platinum.
For the first time, TAWA’s long-running springtime testing was at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA), which opened on the outskirts of Austin in 2012 for Formula 1 racing and other motorsports. A mix of 52 journalists and social media practitioners evaluated the 42-vehicle field.
“The vision of the event was to create an opportunity for our members to learn about the latest advances in technologies derived through racing and experience their applications in the latest street cars,” said Nick Phillips, TAWA’s president.
Marking its 30th year, TAWA is best known for its Texas Truck Rodeo and “Truck of Texas” bragging rights, which predate Americans’ truck and SUV mania. The group also supports journalism education in the Lone Star state through college scholarships.
Steve Wheeler, an automotive writer for the Baton Rouge Advocate and a board member of TAWA, noted that while the fast, sexy and luxurious Alfa Romeo Giulia and Mercedes-AMG GTS S deserved their wins, he was just as wowed by Chrysler’s first production hybrid minivan.
“The Pacifica is a very impressive vehicle,” said Wheeler. “It’s family friendly, gets great mileage and there’s plenty of room for kids to spread out. Plus, it has lots of amenities.”
Kimberly Shults, who oversees communications for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Texas, was gratified. “This was my 10th time taking part in TAWA’s Auto Roundup and I have to say, it was the best event yet. Utilizing a world-class Formula 1 track was spectacular. COTA provided the perfect backdrop to evaluate vehicles in side-by-side comparisons unlike any other automotive media event in the country.”
2017’s best-in-class winners and runner-ups were:
» Compact Car 2017 Mazda3 5-Door Grand Touring 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback
» Minivan 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum 2017 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD
» Activity Vehicle 2017 Jeep Compass Latitude/Trailhawk 2017 Mazda CX-5
» Full-size Luxury Car 2017 Volvo S90 Inscription 2017 Chrysler 300
» Green Vehicle 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid
» Performance Compact 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF 2017 Toyota 86 860 Special Edition
» Performance Coupe 2018 Lexus LC 500h 2017 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400
» Performance Sedan 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 2017 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
» Performance Utility 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT 2017 Infiniti QX30 Premium AWD
» Supercar 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S 2017 Nissan GTR Premium
» Best Feature 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid powertrain Toyota Safety Sense system » Best New Interior 2017 Volvo S90 Inscription (sole entry)
Participating manufacturers included Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.