TMW - The first of our awards, Small Car, and the winner is...........

SMALL CAR - from Micro to Super mini, the nominations are

SUZUKI SWIFT - The Small car that has helped turn Suzuki into a world class car manufacturer, with regular updates and upgrades, which keep the car fresh and modern, the Swift earns its place on the list.

FIAT 500 - The rebirth of an Icon continues apace, with expanded ranges, which now include the 500L, XL, Trekking and the new 500X, the sales cant lie, the new 500 is the car, that has saved FIAT once again.

HYUNDAI i10 - The i10 has single handed given Hyundai some stunning sales numbers, and when the UK had its own "Scrappage Scheme" the i10 was one of the major stars, in fact one was purchased for the Mother-in-Law (but that's no reason to not have one... LOL ed) 

CITROEN C1, PEUGEOT 108, TOYOTA AYGO - This threesome (ooeer missus) is the second generation of co-operation to produce three distinct cars, the Peugeot is definitely the best of the three, with the Toyota last, this time around, more distinction between the brands is evident, and it clearly shows.

MAZDA2 - The new Mazda2, carries on where the Mazda6 and Mazda3 have started, with Skyactive Technology and the KODO - Soul of Motion design influence, Mazda has hit another home run, it is not surprising that Mazda sales worldwide are flying high.

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The hotly contested segment, where price is more important than loads of extras, not to say that they are not important, but the Small car segment is predominantly an age related segment, either the young, where they can get a cheap car, or the elderly, that just needs a small car for their needs.

But because a car is in this segment, it does not mean that they are not good, far far from it, over the last few years, this segment has seen quality and specification gains more so than in other segments, Just look at the previous generation Citroen C1 to today's offering, and with the Hyundai i10 being the car of choice during the UK;s own scrappage scheme, it shows how this segment has moved on.

But it is not always a case of the cheapest or the best specified cars wins, this segment takes a little longer to decide on who should take our first win, and it is a tough one, each car has its own merits, the Mazda will be a huge success, the trio of cars from the PSA & Toyota are already a cut above the rest, The Hyundai is a giant leap from the previous generation, the FIAT, is a let down, its not cheap, its not overly great at any one thing, its good at most things, and its starting to show its age.

Then it brings us to the Suzuki, The Swift is a great little car, it is priced to be competitive, and it has looks that are modern, curvaceous and from the manufacturer that is supreme in small car production, so whats it to be, well...........

THE MOTORING WORLD SMALL CAR OF THE YEAR........

Goes to......

Congrats to Suzuki, and keep building the Swift as is, it is a great car, at a price point that is spot on, and with those looks, it has a sporty look, even on the lower end models, whats not to like about this little pocket rocket.