Auto Express names the new Discovery as it's Car of the Year for 2017.

• British-built SUV scoops two major trophies at prestigious ceremony
• Four Awards for BMW including Best Electric Car for the i3
• Skoda wins four Awards, including Best Family Car for the second year running and Best Integrated Ad Campaign

British brand Land Rover has scooped the coveted Auto Express Car of the Year award for its new Discovery at a ceremony in Central London. The Discovery was voted the best new car on the market, with judges commending its innovation in technology, quality and comfort. The model was also named the Best Large Premium SUV for 2017.

The Auto Express New Car Awards celebrate the best cars on sale, from city cars to performance models. Voted for by the expert reviewers at Auto Express, every single model on sale is analysed according to specific criteria, with only the very best cars making the winners’ list.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express, said: "The new Land Rover Discovery is an incredible car, bringing new levels of luxury and go-anywhere ability to the SUV class. 

It rivals the very best cars you can buy for quality and refinement, offers all the practicality a family could ever need, will wow buyers with amazing technology they won't have seen before and offer a level of efficiency you wouldn't expect for this size and class of car. On top of all that, it's brilliantly built by the guys and girls working for Land Rover in the Midlands. It's a great British success story."

Another big winner on the night was Skoda, taking home four trophies: Best Family Car for the Skoda Superb, Best Estate Car for the Octavia, Best Large SUV for the Kodiaq and Best Integrated Ad Campaign for Skoda-Reconnect starring Sir Bradley Wiggins.

The Technology Award was given to BMW for its advanced range of plug-in cars, plus its industry-leading connectivity and autonomous tech. BMW also took home the newly launched Best Electric Car Award, for its i3, while the 5 Series won Best Executive Car. The brand also won the Best Social Media Campaign Award for BMW Genius Live.

Other British-built winners, in addition to the Land Rover Discovery, were the Jaguar XE, which was named Best Compact Executive for the third year running, and the Swindon-built Honda Civic Type R, which was crowned Best Hot Hatch. Jaguar also won the reader-voted Design Award for the I-Pace Concept.

Auto Express New Car Awards Winners 2017

Category

CAR OF THE YEAR BEST CITY CAR BEST SUPERMINIBEST COMPACT FAMILY CARBEST FAMILY CARBEST ELECTRIC CAR BEST ESTATE CARBEST COMPACT EXECUTIVE CARBEST EXECUTIVE CARBEST LUXURY CAR BEST HOT HATCHBEST_CONVERTIBLE                                       BEST MPV     BEST SMALL SUV    BEST MID-SIZE SUV BEST LARGE PREMIUM SUV BEST LARGE SUV BEST COUPEBEST ROADSTERBEST PICK­UPBEST PERFORMANCE CARBEST PREMIUM SUVDESIGN AWARDTECHNOLOGY AWARDVAN OF THE YEARDRIVER POWER AWARDBEST INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNBEST SOCIAL MEDIA

Land Rover DiscoveryVolkswagen up!Seat IbizaVolkswagen GolfSkoda SuperbBMW i3   Skoda Octavia EstateJaguar XE      BMW 5 SeriesMercedes S-ClassHonda Civic Type R       Mercedes C-Class       Citroen Grand C4 PicassoCitroen C4 Cactus        Peugeot 3008        Land Rover Discovery  Skoda KodiaqAudi A5 CoupeMazda MX-5 RFMitsubishi L200Porsche 911 GT3Volvo XC60Jaguar I-PaceBMWVolkswagen Crafter LexusSkoda-ReconnectBMW Genius Live

Groupe Renault UK has announced the winners of its annual ‘Auto Express Driver Power – Dealer of Excellence’ award

• Unique industry initiative is in partnership with Auto Express magazine and Driver Power
• 17 Renault franchises awarded coveted ‘Dealer of Excellence’ status
• Award recognises dealerships that far exceed the manufacturer’s customer satisfaction measurements
• Programme contributes to Groupe Renault UK’s increased focus on customer satisfaction

Groupe Renault UK has announced the winners of its annual ‘Auto Express Driver Power – Dealer of Excellence’ award programme that is run in association with Auto Express magazine.

A total of 17 franchises have been awarded the highly coveted ‘Dealer of Excellence’ accolade that recognises the best of the best in the Groupe Renault UK dealer network. 

The successful dealerships were presented with their awards by Paul Flanagan, Managing Director, Groupe Renault UK, at the manufacturer’s national dealer conference held yesterday in Central London.

The winning dealerships were initially nominated for the award after significantly exceeding the high standard set by Groupe Renault UK in its own in-house customer satisfaction measurements. Each nominated dealership was shown to be performing within the top-tier of dealers across eight Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that rate sales and aftersales procedures and service.

Driver Power then sought to independently verify each nominated dealership’s highly-rated levels of care and service by contacting its customers and conducting an in-depth customer satisfaction survey.

The ‘Auto Express Driver Power – Dealer of Excellence’ programme was established in 2015 and is backed by the expertise of more than 15 years of conducting the annual Driver Power survey, the UK’s largest and most comprehensive independent automotive satisfaction study. It forms part of the manufacturer’s drive to position the Renault brand as a leader in terms of customer experience. Following the creation of the initiative was the announcement of Groupe Renault UK’s new Total Customer Experience (TCE) organisation, which integrates Customer Engagement, Customer Support, Product Support and Warranty. The increased emphasis on customer satisfaction also included the creation of a brand new Customer Journey team, which ensures that Renault and Dacia drivers enjoy the very best care throughout their ownership experience.

Congratulating the winning dealerships, Mark Crockett, Total Customer Experience Director, Groupe Renault UK, said: “The winning dealers can feel very proud of their teams’ achievements. Our commitment to improving quality and standards across the board has never been higher, and we established this unique partnership and initiative with Auto Express and Driver Power to offer customers a transparent, independent verification of the customer experience our dealer partners are delivering. Customers of the 17 winning dealers can rest assured that they will receive the very best service and their motoring requirements are in the safest of hands.”

Brian Walters, Director of Research and Insight at Driver Power, said: “For consumers seeking a trustworthy and satisfying sales and service experience, the Dealer of Excellence accreditation is a powerful, independent seal of approval. But consumers aren’t the only ones who benefit from the programme; accredited dealerships benefit from increased customer loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations.”

In 2016, Groupe Renault achieved its best ever performance in the Auto Express Driver Power survey for Dealer Aftersales Service Satisfaction, with Renault topping the survey for the first time and Dacia following in second. Across the whole Renault range, customers were on average 94.4 per cent satisfied with their overall aftersales experience at a Renault dealership in the latest survey.

The significant success in customer satisfaction at dealer level follows Renault vehicles posting their best ever results in the Auto Express Driver Power survey, which is determined purely by the feedback of owners and is the UK’s largest automotive customer satisfaction studies. Out of 183 models from 32 brands, the Renault ZOE and Renault Kadjar finished in second and third overall respectively. The all-electric ZOE, Kadjar crossover and previous generation Scénic/Grand Scénic also won the Supermini, Off-road/SUV and MPV categories respectively, while the Clio took third place in the Supermini sector.

Dacia also scored strongly in the annual survey, the manufacturer being voted the fourth best manufacturer overall and the Logan MCV – the UK’s most affordable new estate car – winning the Family Car category.

The exemplary customer service showing also comes at a time when Groupe Renault UK dealerships are exceptionally busy. In 2016 the All-New Renault Mégane and All-New Scénic were launched across the network and Renault UK recorded a five-year high in sales with 85,102 Renault cars being sold and Dacia achieving its best year since launching in the UK with 26,499 sales last year.

The 17 winning dealerships are:

• Bristol Street Motors Gloucester
• Bristol Street Motors Nottingham
• Bristo’s Limited Ipswich
• Harwoods Ryde
• Holden Norwich
• Lifestyle Eastbourne
• Mackie Motors Brechin
• Martins Basingstoke
• Mitchells Garage Lowestoft
• Motorline Ashford
• Renault Bolton
• Renault Cardiff
• Renault Manchester
• Renault Romford
• Renault Wirral
• S.M.C Weybridge
• Smiths of Peterborough

Honda is the biggest climber in Car Dealer Power Survey 2016 making it one of the UK's best dealer networks around.

• Honda is the biggest climber in Car Dealer Power Survey 2016
• Survey measures satisfaction levels at dealer network level
• Progress highlights Honda’s commitment to dealer partners and customer experience

Honda (UK) has made major advances in satisfaction levels across its dealer network according to the results of a major new survey.

The brand made the biggest gains in the influential Car Dealer Power Survey 2016, climbing 20 places and establishing itself as one of the industry’s leading manufacturers, particularly when it comes to aftersales, new car supply and finance, which Honda scored especially well on.

Compiled by Car Dealer Magazine, the survey asks dealers to rate the performance of manufacturers across key business areas such as brand awareness, forward planning, finance offerings and return on investment.

The results show Honda retailers are particularly impressed with the brand’s performance across its aftersales operations, giving it an impressive 90 per cent approval rating.

This came just weeks after Hondacare Assistance – the brand’s breakdown and recovery service – was voted the best in the 2016 Which? Breakdown Survey and awarded Which? Recommended Provider status.

Taken together, the two surveys demonstrate the progress being made in Honda’s continued commitment to deliver the very best ownership experience for its customers.

The Car Dealer Power Survey, with its business focus, also underlines the attractiveness of the Honda brand to potential investors keen to join its expanding dealer network.

Rebecca Stead, head of network development at Honda UK, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have made such significant advances in satisfaction levels across our dealer network over the past 12 months and will continue to seek to improve.

Stead added: “As a brand, we place great emphasis on developing the working relationship we have with our dealer partners and to ensuring the processes and financial infrastructure we put in place work for them and their businesses.

“The benefits of this approach will be felt too outside our network as happy and satisfied dealers will project the very best impression of our brand and its strengths and values to our customers and potential customers.”

The two biggest UK magazines both highlight the current MG range as some of the best bang for your buck around.

MG cars have won further positive accolades from two of Britain’s leading car magazines.

Both Autocar and Auto Express have showered praise on the value-for-money of MG cars, with the MG3 being singled out as a “24-carat bargain” across the entire new car market.

In an Autocar special investigation to find the best value cars in Britain, the highly-respected motoring guru Andrew Frankel, wrote: “Just one of our selected candidates charges less than £100 for a single horsepower, that car being the astonishingly cheap MG3, the best bang-for-buck value car not just in this class, but also across them all."

Frankel says any car that can deliver this sort of value-for money is a “24-carat bargain.”

Auto Express has carried out a huge survey to find the best 50 top deals on cars ahead of the September plate change. Again the MG3 is highlighted among the front runners.

Their special consumer report says: “With its attractive styling, roomy cabin and fun to drive, the MG3 ticks the important boxes for many people.

“MG3 3Form trim brings air-conditioning and a DAB radio. Deals are keen, thanks to MG’s £900 deposit contribution. Putting down £2,948 cuts monthly payments to £159.  All this and insurance is free for the first year.”

Auto Express’s Consumer Editor, Joe Finnerty, said the magazine trawled through manufacturers’ brochures and websites in the search for the best offers in the market. Just 50 made the grade.

Meanwhile Autocar highlighted the newly-launched MG GS in its assessment of SUVs and crossovers on the British market. The MG came under the heading of “SUVs sold for their honest, no-nonsense, rugged appeal” and was shown to have a cost per horsepower ration of £92/bhp the second lowest in the report.

Matthew Cheyne, MG’s Head of Sales and Marketing, said: “For two of the top motoring magazines in the country to write in such glowing terms about the value that MG offers is terrific news.

“Giving the customer exceptional value for money is a key part of what we are all about and it’s gratifying to know that some of the most respected motoring journalists in Britain have recognised this.

“MG, of course, gives you so much more than just great value-for-money. Our cars are great fun to drive, the design is fantastic, comfort levels and equipment levels are class-leading so MGs give an all-round brilliant package. 

MG’s sales are climbing with 2016 set to be the best year ever since MG Motor UK was formed. While the UK car industry is currently increasing by an average of 2.8 per cent, MG growth is more than five times that level with official figures showing the brand is up more than 15 per cent so far this year.

MG dealers among the best in Britain

MG dealers are celebrating after an outstanding result in one of the toughest consumer reports in Britain.

The brand has rocketed up the dealer charts in the highly-prestigious Auto Express Driver Power awards for 2016. With a jump of eight places, MG now sits 12^th in the league with an overall score of 90.54%.

MG is continuing to grow its network of dealers and new dealerships have opened recently in Swansea, Bradford, Ayr, Warrington, Epsom, Wolverhampton and Brandon in Suffolk. More new dealers will be announced in the near future.

Matthew Cheyne said: “With increasing sales and a stronger dealer network offering such great after-sales service, the MG brand is getting stronger all the time.

“We are still building and maturing, but you can now feel a real tangible, growing public confidence in us and our products. It’s been hard work but now we are getting real results and are on course for a record year in 2016.”

Renault takes the top spot in the Auto Express Driver Power Dealer Aftersales Service Survey 2016.

• Renault rated number one in industry for dealer aftersales service
• Owners were 94.4 per cent on average satisfied with their aftersales experience
• Renault climbs from 12th place in 2015
• Impressive results for Groupe Renault with Dacia finishing in second place overall

Renault has achieved its best ever performance in the Auto Express Driver Power survey for Dealer Aftersales Service Satisfaction, topping the survey for the first time. Across the whole Renault range, customers were on average 94.4 per cent satisfied with their overall aftersales experience at a Renault dealership in the 2016 survey.

The impressive result sees the French car manufacturer rise through the rankings from 12^th, out of 31 brands, in the survey in 2015.

The announcement comes after Renault received its best ever ranking in the Auto Express Driver Power vehicle ownership survey, with the ZOE electric supermini and Renault Kadjar crossover awarded second and third overall respectively out of 183 vehicles surveyed.

Mark Crockett, Director of Total Customer Experience, Groupe Renault UK & Ireland, said: “This outstanding result demonstrates the progression of our vehicles and reaffirms our commitment to customer service throughout the entire lifespan of our cars. We are delighted to have topped the list, especially as this comes directly from our own customers. This ranking comes at a time when we are also selling a record number of vehicles in the UK. We strive to provide customers with the very-best ownership experience, and 94.4 per cent of customers stating they have been satisfied with our After Sales service is proof of that.”

Brian Walters, Director of Research and Insights at Driver Power, said: "Renault improved in all six of the Driver Power aftersales attributes, most notably in keeping its customers informed on progress and cost of work, and the technical knowledge of its workshop employees. Renault now leads the industry with respect to the helpfulness and attitude of its dealership personnel. In fact, Renault is among the top three brands in all six of the Driver Power dealer attributes."

The result is partly attributed to the redefinition of the Groupe Renault UK Services and Quality division in early 2016 to two new departments: Total Customer Experience (TCE) and After Sales.  TCE supports a further emphasis on customer experience and performance and demonstrates the brand’s collective commitment to positively driving customer experience throughout the business and its dealer network. The TCE team is now also complemented by a new Customer Journey team in order to deliver the best possible Renault experience to customers, whilst After Sales now has a renewed focus on the commercial operations of parts, accessories, options and services functions.

Over the last few years the Groupe Renault UK dealer network has been investing in a new physical showroom experience for its customers with 132 new ‘Renault Store’ showroom concepts already opened across the country adding a completely new dimension to customers’ buying experiences. The concept includes a striking new exterior look to the dealerships, featuring new corporate colours and signage, a dedicated brand bar and specific model zones. Combined with the youngest model line-up of any generalist car manufacturer in the UK and the new TCE and After Sales divisions, this means that a customer will have a completely different Renault experience when they walk into a showroom than they would have done just four years ago.

The result is further proof that Groupe Renault UK is on track to complete its GO5+ 5-year mid-term plan –two objectives of which are to secure a top 10 ranking in the Auto Express Driver Power Customer Ownership Survey and also a top 10 Global Opinion rank for the Renault brand by 2017.

DRIVER POWER - Renault tops the car list as best brand, with the AA, best Breakdown and NFU Mutual best insurer.

• Driver Power reveals Britons more satisfied than ever with dealer experience NFU Mutual named Britain’s best car insurer
• AA tops best breakdown cover leaderboard

For the first time ever, Renault has topped the Driver Power dealer chart on the back of a fantastic set of scores. The UK’s biggest car satisfaction survey polled more than 38,000 Brits about their dealer experience, with Renault climbing 12 spots from last year, no doubt helped by a line­up of fresh new cars keeping customers happy.

Driver Power is the largest car satisfaction survey undertaken in the UK giving the very best knowledge and insight into the market place. Dealers were polled in seven separate categories, including how helpful staff were, how clean the showroom appeared and the standard of work. In total more than 38,000 people took part in the survey evaluating 31 makes.

With all Renault showrooms also selling Dacias, it’s unsurprising to see Dacia finish second, but it’s Renault that tips the scales with top rankings for helpfulness and attitude, plus the overall dealer experience. Its franchises are considered good value for money, too.

Paul Flanagan, Renault UK’s managing director, said: “These outstanding results for Renault and Dacia in the 2016 Auto Express Driver Power survey demonstrate the quality and reliability of our vehicles, the efforts that the Renault and Dacia dealer network has put into delivering exceptional customer service and reaffirm our commitment to customer experience throughout the entire ownership cycle of all of our cars.

“We are delighted that our own customers have rated Renault best of all manufacturers and Dacia in second place overall – with the focus of our new Total Customer Experience team, we will aim to innovate and improve our levels of customer satisfaction even further in the years ahead.”

Brian Walters, Director of Research and Insight at Driver Power, added: "Renault improved in all six of the Driver Power after sales scoring attributes, most notably in keeping its customers informed on progress and cost of work, and the technical knowledge of its workshop employees. Renault now leads the industry with respect to the helpfulness and attitude of its dealership personnel. In fact, Renault is among the top three brands in all six of the Driver Power dealer attributes."

This year’s Driver Power has also seen a significant increase in the overall customer satisfaction across 24 out of the 31 brands evaluated, with Brits happier than ever with the service they receive from their dealership. The top score for dealers peaked at 94.42% with an average satisfaction of 89.17% ­ up 1.5% year­on­year.​​

Suzuki saw the biggest jump on the leaderboard this year climbing 24 places to 7th, ranking 3​rd behind Dacia and Renault in value for money. Former multiple winner Lexus finished 3​rd overall but still holds onto its crown as number one for standard of workmanship and technical knowledge.

Driver Power has named NFU Mutual as Britain’s best car insurer climbing two places from last year with a 95.94% overall satisfaction score, while 100% of customers said they would renew their policy. Swinton insurance has made an incredible 19 place jump since 2014 coming in second in this year’s poll. The insurer survey rated 25 companies based upon seven attributes including value for money, salesperson's product knowledge and how well they did at keeping you informed during a claim.

AA has claimed top space for best breakdown cover with an 88.80% overall customer satisfaction narrowly surpassing last year’s 2015 winner Gem Motoring Assist. Driver Power best breakdown ranks six criteria including the ability to fix faults, speed of recovery and helpfulness and friendliness.

AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - The Vauxhall Astra takes yet another award, this time, the Compact Family Car of the Year.

Vauxhall’s all-new Astra has claimed another accolade, winning Compact Family Car of the Year at the Auto Express New Car Awards 2016. Announced at the annual Auto Express New Car Awards ceremony on Tuesday 4 July, the Astra topped the Compact Family Car of the Year category. 

The award recognises the Astra as the car that has leapt forward in many areas, but has also set the standard for others in its class. The judges praised the seventh-generation model for its value for money, technology and “real-world appeal”.

Judges added that the all-new Astra remains competitive across the board, performing strongly not only in cabin and boot space, but also thanks to its powerful and economic 1.6-litre turbo diesel engine. The technology included in the latest model will further broaden its appeal to buyers, judges claimed.

“The Astra has excelled once again,” said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. “It’s great to see how well-received the Astra has been so far and we are pleased that the Astra is being recognised for the hard work that has gone into making this model the best yet.”

This year has already proven to be an extremely successful year for the Astra model. This award is the latest in a list that also includes being named European Car of the Year, a Family Car category win at the What Car? Awards, a Lower Medium category win at the Fleet News Awards and the Game-Changer award from Autocar.