It is the festive season and the season for automotive awards too. As the year winds down and we do a flashback of all the tumultuous action in the passenger car industry, it is also that time of the year when we motoring journalists, who are part of the ICOTY, get together and vote for the best car of the last 12 months.
Despite the fact that the last few months have seen a yo-yoing of car sales in some key segments, there has been a general sense of optimism in the passenger car industry. The industry has gotten back on its growth path, though it is still only in the high single digits. 2016 will also go down as the year in which the Indian car market attained a new level of maturity with the emergence of new body styles and increased safety equipment.
This year there were many cars that represented all of these changes, both from the consumer’s perspective and the brand that manufactures it. But, the one that finally emerged as the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) was the Hyundai Creta. This compact SUV emerged as the winner, after beating nine other potential candidates that formed part of the final short-list and represented the best of the year from across categories.
At the award ceremony in New Delhi earlier this month, the Indian Car of the Year 2016 trophy was handed to the Hyundai team by Dr. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries, on behalf of the sponsor and on behalf of the jury of the ICOTY 2016.
This was the 11th edition of the ICOTY, which has emerged as the most credible and coveted award for cars in the country and is now widely considered the ‘Oscar’ of Indian automotive awards. This award is an expert and independent judgement of the best new car and the award has gained in prominence over the years.
JK Tyre has been sponsoring the award ceremony of the ICOTY since its inception. Congratulating the winner, Dr. Raghupati Singhania said, “The automobile and auto-ancillary sector in India is growing at a fast pace. The consumer is ever-discerning and automakers seek to outperform each other. In such a competitive environment, ICOTY award endeavours to recognise those who break the clutter with their innovation and deep understanding of the Indian consumer.
The ICOTY’s objective is to recognise product excellence and consumer-centricity in the cars which were manufactured in India during the last 12 months. Of the two dozen new cars launched in 2015, about 18 qualified for these awards and 10 cars made it to the final jury round held in Lonavala, near Pune on 4th December, 2015.
Three in a rowThe top contenders were the Hyundai Creta, Maruti Suzuki Baleno, Renault Kwid, Honda Jazz and Ford Figo Aspire.
With the Creta winning the 2016 trophy, Hyundai has managed to win the ICOTY award three years in succession. The previous winners were the i20 Elite (2015) and the i10 Grande (2014). This year’s runner-up was the Maruti Suzuki Baleno, which lost by the slimmest margin of 11 votes.
In all, nine publications were represented on the ICOTY 2016. This jury consisted of 14 senior Indian motoring journalists .
The jury members are responsible for selecting a single decisive winner. The voting process involves each of the jury members awarding a total of 25 points amongst the final list of contenders.
The maximum number of points that one car can be awarded is 10 and the 25 points need to be awarded to a minimum of five cars. The winning car is chosen by simple majority.
The ICOTY award is in line with international standards and modelled on the American Car of the Year, European Car of the Year and Japanese Car of the Year.
The eligible cars are judged on various parameters such as price, fuel efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, features, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money and above all suitability for Indian consumers and driving conditions. Imports do not qualify for the award.
The Hindu BusinessLine was a member publication of the ICOTY 2016