Results: Shell V-Power Autoworld Car of the Year Awards 2011
Greetings from Holiday Inn Kuala Lumpur, where we have just announced the results of the Shell V-Power Autoworld Car of the Year Awards 2011. A total of 33 cars were nominated this year, with 17 awards being given out.
As per the case with the 2010 awards, the nominated cars were evaluated by a panel of judges consisting of various personalities in and outside the automotive industry. In addition to judges’ scoring, the Shell V-Power Autoworld Car Awards also distinguishes itself by being the only award of its kind in the country to incorporate online voting into its scoring matrix.
As such, winners of this awards can rightly proclaim themselves as not only having passed our judges’ evaluations, they were also endorsed by our readers. The nominees and winners of this year’s Shell V-Power Autoworld Car Awards are:
Best Super Compact Passenger Car
Nominees: Inokom i10, Perodua Myvi 1.3, Proton Saga FLX 1.3
What Happened: Proton and Perodua fire their opening salvos in this category, with the Inokom i10 joining the party. Our judges ranked the i10 a close second to the Myvi, but our readers ensured an overwhelming win to help Perodua’s best-seller defend the title that its predecessor won in last year’s award.
Winner: Perodua Myvi 1.3
Best Sub-Compact Passenger Car
Nominees: Honda Insight, Nissan Livina X-Gear, Perodua Myvi 1.5, Peugeot 207
What Happened: This category had an interesting mix of vehicles consisting of a hybrid car, a pseudo-MPV, a hatchback, and a sedan. The Myvi in its 1.5-litre guise proved popular amongst voters, whilst the Nissan Livina X-Gear also put up a good show for the judges. Ultimately, however, both finished second best to the Honda Insight, who topped both the judges’ score and online voting.
Winner: Honda Insight
Best Premium Sub-Compact Passenger Car
Nominees: Honda Jazz, Lexus CT 200h, Volkswagen Polo GTI
What Happened: Despite a valiant effort from the Lexus CT 200h, the Polo GTI won this category pretty convincingly, with emphatic margins on both the judges’ scores and online voting. Its magical mixture of properly fun driving dynamics with strong brand cachet of the Volkswagen marque makes for a potent combination.
Winner: Volkswagen Polo GTI
Best Compact Passenger Car
Nominees: Mazda3 (CKD), Peugeot 308, Proton Inspira
What Happened: A closely fought category involving a Japanese, a European, and a local entry. All three were strong contenders, boasting generous amounts of kit and excellent driving dynamics. The Mazda and Peugeot even had good looks to back them up, but the Inspira ultimately shaded this contest by virtue of adding good value for money into the mix as well.
Winner: Proton Inspira
Best Premium Compact Passenger Car
Nominees: Mazda3 MPS, Skoda Octavia RS, Volvo S60 T5
What Happened: No longer the uncle’s car, the S60 T5 shows us that Volvo is just as capable of making cars that thrill the driver. The ‘most dynamic’ Volvo ever held off the challenges of some pretty dynamic and well-liked rivals, namely the Mazda3 MPS and Skoda Octavia RS to take the category crown.
Winner: Volvo S60 T5
Best Mid-Sized Passenger Car
Nominees: Ford Mondeo EcoBoost, Honda Accord, Nissan Teana
What Happened: A hugely competitive category, and great contrast amongst the contestants. The aging Accord was never in it, though it still impressed by finishing amazingly close to the Mondeo. A stellar performance in our test drive session, demonstrating impressive performance and chassis finesse, ultimately assured the Mondeo its crown. Spare a thought too for the Nissan Teana, an entry that deserves mention for its impressive refinement and silky smooth V6 engine.
Winner: Ford Mondeo EcoBoost
Best Premium Mid-Sized Passenger Car
Nominees: Skoda Superb, Volvo S80 T5
What Happened: An example on how online voting actually plays a part in shaping the results of these awards. Scores from our judges tipped the outcome of this category in favour of the excellent Superb, but overwhelming support from voters turned this into a decisive victory for the Volvo.
Winner: Volvo S80 T5
Best MPV
Nominees: Ford S-Max, Hyundai Grand Starex Royale, Mazda5, Peugeot 5008
What Happened: If MPVs were to be judged on driving dynamics alone, the Ford S-Max would have taken this as the uncontested winner. But, the family has other concerns, chiefly space, practicality, and value for money. These qualities are present in abundance on the Grand Starex Royale, and despite not winning the judges’ votes, won enough from the members to retain the MPV crown it won last year.
Winner: Hyundai Grand Starex Royale
Best SUV / Crossover
Nominees: Inokom Santa Fe, Chevrolet Captiva
What Happened: We expected the Santa Fe, with its mighty 193hp / 442Nm engine to butcher the Captiva, but the plucky Chevy had other ideas. European inspired styling and above average driving dynamics made up for a chronic lack of power, and with the help of our members, narrowly beat the hugely-favoured Santa Fe to the crown.
Winner: Chevrolet Captiva
Best Premium SUV / Crossover
Nominees: Lexus RX 450h, Volkswagen Touareg, Volvo XC60 T5
What Happened: Though it was the popular choice among voters, the RX 450h was ultimately too far behind the Touareg and XC60 T5, both of whom were neck-and-neck in the judges’ eyes. The XC60 is a competitive product with excellent safety features, but ultimately lacks the Touareg’s overall polish in terms of packaging and driving experience.
Winner: Volkswagen Touareg
Best Pick-Up Truck
Nominees: Isuzu D-Max, Toyota Hilux
What Happened: Both the D-Max and Hilux have been noted for their excellent running costs, which make them popular choices for owners in this segment. Their scores were differentiated after only two decimal places, but a strong showing among online voters, aided no doubt by the Toyota badge, ensured an emphatic win for the Hilux.
Winner: Toyota Hilux
Best Alternative Energy Vehicle
Nominees: Honda Insight, Lexus CT 200h, Lexus RX 450h
What Happened: A special category to honour green-powered cars, the Honda Insight recorded a memorable victory against not one but two highly fancied Lexus models to record a double victory. The CT 200h and RX 450h are both vastly more sophisticated, but the Honda’s role in making green motoring affordable to the masses cannot be understated and it is thus a deserving winner of this award.
Winner: Honda Insight
Best Performance Car
Nominees: Mazda3 MPS, Peugeot RCZ, Skoda Octavia RS, Volkswagen Polo GTI
What Happened: A category for sports cars and performance-oriented model variants, which explains why the Mazda3 MPS, Skoda Octavia RS and Volkswagen Polo GTI are featured both here and their respective passenger car categories. The Polo GTI’s potent serving of old school hilarious driving fun makes it a natural choice for the enthusiasts.
Winner: Volkswagen Polo GTI
Best Design Award
Nominees: Peugeot RCZ, Volkswagen Polo GTI, Volvo S60 T5
What Happened: It is said by some that good looks can get you anywhere, and often enough in the car business, good looks alone can help close deals. The RCZ, Polo GTI and S60 T5 represent three of the most attractive looking vehicles from the pool of nominees tested this year, and it was the Peugeot that ultimately scored the highest in the looks department.
Winner: Peugeot RCZ
Best Value for Money Performance Car
Nominees: Mazda3 MPS, Skoda Octavia RS, Volkswagen Polo GTI
What Happened: A ‘bang for buck’ award. This sub-award of the Performance Car category basically tells you which car gives you the most horses for the least money, and that car is the Mazda3 MPS, which serves up 255hp for RM180k with insurance.
Winner: Mazda3 MPS
Judges’ Choice Award
Nominees: Ford Mondeo EcoBoost, Peugeot RCZ, Volkswagen Polo GTI
What Happened: Each of our 13 judges were asked to nominate his or her favourite car amongst all 33 tested. The Mondeo EcoBoost and Peugeot RCZ got two votes each, and the rest all went to one car – the Volkswagen Polo GTI. The Polo GTI served up a truly memorable driving experience, and those who tested the car simply could not stop raving about this little pocket rocket.
Winner: Volkswagen Polo GTI
Autoworld Member’s Choice Award
Nominees: Perodua Myvi, Toyota Hilux, Volvo S80 T5
What Happened: An award to honour the car that won their category most convincingly in terms of member votes. The new Perodua Myvi put in a strong showing, but ultimately failed to recapture the title won by its predecessor. In the end, it was a battle between the Toyota Hilux and the Volvo S80 T5, with the venerable Volvo emerging as the surprise winner. This was an award category in which the judges had absolutely no influence, and was decided entirely by you, the voters.
Winner: Volvo S80 T5
