Honest John to host their annual awards ceremony to award the best of the best.

• Final 70 contenders announced for Honest John Awards 2017, but which ones will get to wear the hat?
• Shortlist based on the cars that are most-popular with HonestJohn.co.uk's two million readers
• Lab-inspired ceremony to take place in London, with winners announced on 18 May 

There was chemistry, there was friction and there were some quite strong reactions, but the team at www.HonestJohn.co.uk has finally crunched the numbers to uncover the shortlist for the forthcoming Honest John Awards 2017, which will be handed out in London on 18 May.

This year, the team has applied its tried and tested formulae to determine which models are the best options for consumers, based on their popularity with HonestJohn.co.uk‘s two million readers. There are now 70 names in the melting pot, but which ones will be victorious?

THE MOTORING WORLD BLOG CHOICES

As the site’s consumer-led approach to testing, experimenting and concocting their shortlists has been a truly scientific affair, this year’s awards will include a special behind-the-scenes glimpse of the HJ Labs.

Here – in alphabetical order - are the contenders for each category – but which have the probability of winning an award?

City Car

Fiat 500

Hyundai i10

Skoda Citigo

Suzuki Ignis

Volkswagen Up

Small Hatchback

Ford Fiesta

Honda Jazz

Skoda Fabia

Suzuki Baleno

Toyota Yaris

Small Family Car

Audi A3 Sportback

Citroen C4 Cactus

Ford Focus

Mazda 3

Volkswagen Golf

Large Family Car

DS 5

Ford Mondeo

Mazda 6

Skoda Superb

Volkswagen Passat

Compact Premium

Audi A4

BMW 3 Series

Jaguar XE

Mercedes-Benz GLC

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Large Premium

Audi A6

BMW 5 Series

Jaguar F-Pace

Jaguar XF

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

MPV

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer

Citroen C4 Grand Picasso

Ford B-MAX

Ford C-MAX

Volkswagen Golf SV

Small Crossover

Dacia Duster

Honda HR-V

Mazda CX-3

Peugeot 2008

Renault Captur

Crossover

Hyundai Tucson

Kia Sportage

Nissan Qashqai

SEAT Ateca

Suzuki Vitara

SUV

BMW X5

Ford Edge

Kia Sorento

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Volvo XC90

Performance Car

Audi RS3

Ford Focus RS

Honda Civic Type R

Porsche 718 Boxster

Toyota GT86

Volkswagen Golf R

Convertible

Fiat 124 Spider

Ford Mustang

Mazda MX-5

Mercedes-Benz SLC

Mitsuoka Roadster

Luxury Car

Audi A7 Sportback

Audi A8

BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Tesla Model S

Estate

BMW 3-Series Touring

Honda Civic Tourer

Skoda Octavia Estate

SEAT Leon ST

Volvo V90

On the evening of the awards, HonestJohn.co.uk will also announce its overall Car of the Year 2017, as well as special awards for Highly Rated Car and its Real MPG champion, which is arguably the most scientific award of the lot.

Keep an eye out for the outcome, with the results going live here at 10.00pm on Thursday 18 May. 

Citroen takes two awards at the DieselCar Top 50 ceremony, the same as last year.

For the second year in succession, Citroën has been honoured in DieselCar Magazine’s ‘Top 50’ – with C4 Cactus winning the prestigious ‘Best Compact Crossover’ prize, while the C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso were jointly awarded the ‘Best Medium MPV’ title.

DieselCar Magazine’s ‘Top 50’ is a list of the best 50 diesel cars currently on sale in the UK.

Once again, Citroën has been awarded with two top accolades in DieselCar Magazine’s list of the ‘Top 50’ cars on sale in the UK. 

The eye-catching Citroën C4 Cactus has been named ‘Best Compact Crossover’ and was complimented by the judges for its unique design and excellent BlueHDi 1.6-litre engine. Citroën C4 Picasso and Grand C4 Picasso were named joint winners in the ‘Best Medium MPV’ category, with praise for their outstanding comfort and useful storage.

This means that C4 Cactus and C4 Picasso both retain the awards won for the first time in 2016.

Ian Robertson, Editor and Publisher of DieselCar Magazine, said; “The C4 Cactus began a styling revolution at Citroën, and we love its quirky looks and practical features. Citroën wants to put people’s well-being centre stage, and ‘Airbumps’ which repel frustrating dings and scrapes are a great example of that. It’s fun to drive too, with the light steering making light work of city driving.”

Robertson continued; “Citroën has created a masterpiece with the C4 Picasso. Not only does it look far more stylish than any other people carrier on sale, it is forward-looking too, with advanced digital instruments and advanced engines. In fact, no stone has been left unturned, with useful cubbies and a large boot, to name just a few of the neat design attributes.”

Chris Cheetham, Citroën’s Marketing Director in the UK, commented; “It’s such an honour to be recognised with two awards in DieselCar Magazine’s ‘Top 50’ again this year. Citroën as a brand is all about being different and designing practical cars with the customer front-of-mind. We pride ourselves on our innovative and distinctive vehicles, so being known for creating the ‘Best Medium MPV’ and ‘Best Compact Crossover’ in the marketplace is a great achievement for us.”

The Ignis from Suzuki was a runner up in this years ceremony, just being pipped to the post.

• Urban Category Runner-Up – 2017 World Car of The Year

Suzuki is very pleased to announce that the IGNIS is a Runner-Up in the Urban Car category of the 2017 World Car of The Year. The compact crossover was voted highly by the judges at a ceremony at the New York International Motor Show on April 12^th.

To qualify for the initial judging process, vehicles had to be less than four metres long, suitable in design for everyday use in an urban environment and also on sale across two Continents by the deadline of Spring 2017. 

At just 3.70 metres in length, the IGNIS Mini Crossover easily qualified, it was shortlisted in January and became a finalist with two other new cars in March.

World Car of The Year Juror, Director and Vice-Chair Mike Rutherford comments: "Suzuki has seen off many rival manufacturers from all corners of the globe to become a 2017 World Car finalist. 

As our 70-plus jurors have decided, Suzuki builds some of the finest small cars on the market - thus the IGNIS and Baleno being voted into our Top Five in the world, with IGNIS going on to be a Top three finalist, only narrowly missing out on being crowned World Urban Car winner. This astonishing success is all the more remarkable in view of its extremely low price tag. Here’s a great little crossover vehicle proving the point that a world class car can be very affordable”

The IGNIS was first launched in the Japanese domestic market, unveiled for Europe at the Paris Motor Show last Autumn and went on sale in January 2017. In addition to its stylish exterior design it features excellent visibility, compact dimensions and a spacious cabin with ample luggage space. It continues to be very popular with customers in the UK with sales of more than 3,200 since January.

Available from £10,249, IGNIS is powered by a 90PS 1.2-litre Dualjet petrol engine and can be specified with ALLGRIP four wheel drive. It also offers optional SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) technology on the SZ5 model that lowers CO₂ emissions to 97g/km.

IGNIS qualifies for Suzuki’s latest campaign whereby new models registered until the end of June 2017 will receive the equivalent discount of three years Vehicle Excise Duty of £420 off the price of the car at point of sale. There are also numerous low rate PCP finance options available including a £162 per month offer for the SZ3 model with just £162 initial deposit required. This is a 49 month agreement with an optional final payment of £3,982 to keep the car.

BMW and it's i3 that takes the inaugural winner of the 2017 World Urban Car award.

• AND NOW THERE IS ONE….
• BMW i3 (94Ah) WINS INAUGURAL WORLD URBAN CAR 

At a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation, and Autoneum, the BMW i3 (94Ah) was declared the inaugural winner of the 2017 World Urban Car award.

“We are delighted and honored that the BMW i3 has been recognized as the World Urban Car,” said Ludwig Willisch, Head of BMW Group Region Americas. “This award highlights BMW Group’s commitment to sustainable mobility through BMW’s first all-electric vehicle made primarily of carbon fiber. 

The design briefs for the BMW i3 was to create a Mega City Vehicle for the cities of the future. Today, the new 2017 BMW i3 (94 Ah) provides more range paired with a high-level of dynamic performance, making it the perfect urban vehicle for people around the world.”

2017 marks the first year for the World Urban Car award. World Car vice-chairman, Mike Rustherford, commented, "It's an award whose time has come. Everyday cars in many - perhaps most - parts of the world will have to become smaller if road and parking space is to be found for them in increasingly packed towns and cities whose populations are swelling annually. This year's winner in our inaugural World Urban Car category proves that these small vehicles don't have to be cheap, undesirable and unpleasant to drive. Quite the opposite. It is among the best value-for-money products on the market".

This year’s winner was chosen from an initial entry list of 7 cars from all over the world, then a short list of three finalists as announced in Geneva last month: the BMW i3 (94 Ah), the Citroen C3 and the Suzuki Ignis

Vehicles in all award categories are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 75 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world. Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work. Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world-wide. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates the jurors’ ballots.

The Road to World Car began in Paris on September 29, was followed by test-drives in Los Angeles in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in six categories at the New York International Auto Show.

2017 marks the 11th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the fourth consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach.

The Global Trends Report, co-presented annually by Prime Research and Autoneum, was also released today.The report is the culmination of research and insights across the past six months. Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “The auto industry is in the midst of an upheaval that goes far beyond anything it has experienced in the past 100 years. Emerging industry trends such as autonomous driving, electric mobility and connected cars are changing not only vehicles and their technologies but also their concepts and forms. As the market leader in acoustic and thermal management for vehicles, Autoneum today already offers a large variety of multifunctional and lightweight technologies and components to meet the requirements of modern mobility. With our recently established “Competence Center for New Mobility” in Sunnyvale, California, Autoneum is taking a committed and active role in driving vehicle advancement by developing innovative technologies and components for all forms of mobility.”

World Car of the Year is more than just an awards program. The World Car community brings together a large cross section of experts and professionals from every segment of the automotive industry. World Car connects the global industry around the very best of today and inspires, with insights, the ideas and trends of tomorrow. Thus defining The Road Ahead platform shared with our presenting partners Bridgestone Corporation, Prime Research, Autoneum and, most recently, Brembo.

“As the world’s largest tire and rubber company, we are proud to partner with the World Car program for the 9th consecutive year,” said Mike Martini, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “This is an important forum for leaders in the automotive industry to celebrate achievements in innovation, performance and sustainability. As new mobility preferences emerge, we must continue to collaborate across our industry to deliver cutting-edge technology and world-class products that meet the needs of a changing global customer base.”

In a rapidly changing automotive world, Brembo is also focused firmly on the future and the vehicles it will bring to market. Brembo is committing significant resources to perfecting ever more sophisticated virtual simulation methodologies that includes the study of forms, materials, technologies and surface treatments able to meet the needs of the new-generation vehicles, with a particular focus on environmental impact aspects, which drives all of Brembo’s development activities.

Mercedes-Benz Takes The Luxury Car Of The Year beating BMW and Volvo for the #1 spot.

• AND NOW THERE IS ONE….
• THIRD TIME WORLD LUXURY CAR WIN FOR MERCEDES-BENZ
• Mercedes-Benz E-Class - 2017 World Luxury Car

At a press conference hosted by the New York International Auto Show, Bridgestone Corporation, and Autoneum, the MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS was declared the 2017 World Luxury Car.

This is the 3^rd World Luxury Car win for Mercedes-Benz having captured today’s title, plus two back-to-back titles in 2015 (Mercedes-Benz S-Coupe) and 2014 (Mercedes-Benz S-Class).

Mercedes-Benz made history in 2015 with a triple win in three out of five categories: World Car of the Year (C-Class), World Luxury Car (S-Coupe) and the World Performance Car (AMG GT).

The company has also won two World Green Car awards: 2012 (S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY) and 2007 (Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec) in 2007.

This year’s winner was chosen from an initial entry list of nine prestigious cars from all over the world, then a short list of three finalists as announced in Geneva last month: the BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and the Volvo S90 / V90.

Vehicles in all award categories are selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 75 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world. 

Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Each juror typically drives and evaluates new vehicles on a regular basis as part of their professional work. 

Through their respective outlets they collectively reach an audience of many millions world-wide. The international accounting firm KPMG tabulates the jurors’ ballots.

Previous World Luxury Car winners were the BMW 7 Series (2016), the Mercedes-Benz S Coupé (2015) and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2014). 

The award was first created in 2014 to acknowledge higher-priced premium models selling in more limited numbers worldwide.

The Road to World Car began in Paris on September 29, was followed by test-drives in Los Angeles in November, continued in Geneva with the Top Three in the World announcement, and finally ended today with the declaration of the winners in six categories at the New York International Auto Show.

2017 marks the 11th anniversary of the partnership between World Car and the New York show, and the fourth consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the number one automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach.

The Global Trends Report, co-presented annually by Prime Research and Autoneum, was also released today.The report is the culmination of research and insights across the past six months. 

Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, “The auto industry is in the midst of an upheaval that goes far beyond anything it has experienced in the past 100 years. 

Emerging industry trends such as autonomous driving, electric mobility and connected cars are changing not only vehicles and their technologies but also their concepts and forms. 

As the market leader in acoustic and thermal management for vehicles, Autoneum today already offers a large variety of multifunctional and lightweight technologies and components to meet the requirements of modern mobility. 

With our recently established “Competence Center for New Mobility” in Sunnyvale, California, Autoneum is taking a committed and active role in driving vehicle advancement by developing innovative technologies and components for all forms of mobility.”

World Car of the Year is more than just an awards program. The World Car community brings together a large cross section of experts and professionals from every segment of the automotive industry. 

World Car connects the global industry around the very best of today and inspires, with insights, the ideas and trends of tomorrow. 

Thus defining The Road Ahead platform shared with our presenting partners Bridgestone Corporation, Prime Research, Autoneum and, most recently, Brembo.

“As the world’s largest tire and rubber company, we are proud to partner with the World Car program for the 9th consecutive year,” said Mike Martini, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. 

“This is an important forum for leaders in the automotive industry to celebrate achievements in innovation, performance and sustainability. 

As new mobility preferences emerge, we must continue to collaborate across our industry to deliver cutting-edge technology and world-class products that meet the needs of a changing global customer base.”

In a rapidly changing automotive world, Brembo is also focused firmly on the future and the vehicles it will bring to market. 

Brembo is committing significant resources to perfecting ever more sophisticated virtual simulation methodologies that includes the study of forms, materials, technologies and surface treatments able to meet the needs of the new-generation vehicles, with a particular focus on environmental impact aspects, which drives all of Brembo’s development activities.

The Jaguar F-Pace wins Car Of The Year and Design Car Of The Year awards 2017.

• F-PACE wins two titles at 2017 World Car Awards
• Jaguar’s first performance SUV takes 2017 World Car of the Year title
• Also wins World Car Design of the Year prize
• The F-PACE is Jaguar’s fastest selling global model
• F-PACE is designed, developed and built in the UK

The Jaguar F-PACE is officially the best and most beautiful car in the world after double success at the 2017 World Car Awards, scooping the prestigious World Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year titles.

The performance SUV is the fastest selling model Jaguar has produced and is only the second vehicle to claim the historic double in the 13-year history of the World Car Awards. To win the pair of trophies, the F-PACE saw off the competition in a vote of 75 influential motoring journalists from 24 countries.

These are the latest in a line of major honours for the F-PACE since its April 2016 introduction. The fastest-selling Jaguar ever has collected more than 40 awards, including being named Women’s World Car of the Year, Auto Express ‘Car of the Year’ and ‘Best Premium SUV’ by Telegraph Cars.

Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: "The F-PACE was designed and engineered as a performance SUV with exceptional dynamics, everyday usability and bold design. Winning this award endorses the talent and great work of our teams that have delivered the world’s most practical sports car and Jaguar's fastest-selling vehicle”.

The awards brace is the first overall success for Jaguar at the World Car Awards. The XE sports saloon was a finalist for the 2016 World Car Design of the Year title. The F-PACE triumphed over finalists the Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tiguan to claim the 2017 World Car of the Year prize.

Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar said: “The F-PACE is our first ever SUV but it is clearly recognisable as a Jaguar and for it to win the 2017 World Car of the Year trophy vindicates our decision to bring our unique design principles and dynamic qualities to a new sector of the market.”

The World Car Awards jury comprises influential motoring journalists and to win the 2017 World Car Design of the Year prize the F-PACE saw off the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet and Toyota C-HR in the final three.

Mike Rutherford, Juror, Director and Vice-Chairman of the World Car Awards/World Car of the Year said: "Jaguar has done the unthinkable by first securing the World Car Design of the Year award, then lifting the big one - the overall World Car of the Year trophy. With F-PACE, the British company and its proud and talented workers have taken on and beaten far bigger, wealthier European, Asian and North American rivals."

The new World Car of the Year has contributed to record sales growth by attracting new customers to the brand. It is a performance SUV designed and engineered to offer the agility, responsiveness and refinement that Jaguar is renowned for, together with unrivalled dynamics and everyday usability.

It is already the most searched Jaguar ever in the UK with 4.4 million unique page views of F-PACE content since launch and more than 680,000 people taking the time to configure their dream F-PACE online.

Jaguar’s first performance SUV is designed and developed in the UK and built at Solihull. The business invested £120m in its Solihull facility to build the F-PACE, part of a total £2bn investment in the plant and awarded £5bn of UK supplier contracts to support its production.

Engine options for the F-PACE range from the efficient and innovative four-cylinder 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel, with CO₂ emissions as low as 126g/km* to the high-performance 380PS, supercharged V6 petrol model that can accelerate from 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in just 5.5 seconds.