WHAT CAR AWARDS - And again, Rolls ROyce wins, The best Luxury Car title goes to the luxury brand.

The Rolls-Royce Dawn has been declared ‘Best Luxury Car’ in the 2017 UK Car of the Year Awards – affirming its status as the world’s most luxurious open-top tourer. In making their judgement, a panel of some of the most respected commentators in the automotive world declared the following:

“A delight to drive and to be in – as only a Rolls-Royce can be.” Ollie Marriage, Top Gear Magazine

“The car is exceptionally elegant, marrying traditional expressions of luxury, with a modern take whilst remaining technological and hugely connected. It’s a movie star car!” Nargess Banks, Forbes Life, Wallpaper*

“If luxury is at least on nodding terms with class, the Dawn manages to embody both. Silent running, a gorgeously complex roof mechanism and general air of butlerish brilliance make this peon to UK craftsmanship a winner.” Tom Ford, Top Gear Magazine

Since its introduction to market in March 2016, Dawn has won plaudits globally, including awards from some of the most highly regarded names in luxury and automotive media. Titles such as Robb Report, The Telegraph, Top Gear and luxury bodies including Walpole and the German Design Council have all been seduced by Dawn, the ultimate expression of true luxury open-top touring.

This critical acclaim is echoed in the extraordinary demand from the world’s most discerning patrons of luxury that has driven the marque to the second highest sales result in the company’s 113 year history and 6% global growth in 2016. The UK, Rolls-Royce’s home market grew by 30% over the same period affirming the marque’s status as the consummate expression of success for a bold new generation of entrepreneurs.

“Since its introduction in 2016, Dawn has introduced a highly dynamic new generation of men and women to Rolls-Royce. These patrons of true luxury have been drawn to the most glamorous expression of Rolls-Royce luxury in history,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “Every Rolls-Royce motor car is exquisitely hand-crafted at our centre of excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex. Plaudits like this are a glowing affirmation of the extraordinary skill of the 1,600 men and women engaged in the creation of the ‘Best Cars in the World’.

WHAT CAR AWARDS - And the overall Car Of The Year goes to the BMW 5-Series Saloon.

• All-new BMW 5 Series Saloon is named What Car? Car of the Year 2017.
• Judges praise the new BMW 5 Series for its interior design, driving capabilities and driver assistance technology.
• BMW 520d SE Saloon model takes home the award for Best Luxury Car.
• BMW i3 and BMW M140i recognised as 'best buys' in their respective categories.
• BMW 5 Series is available to order now, prices start from £36,025 OTR.

The all-new BMW 5 Series Saloon has been honoured with one of the motoring industry’s highest accolades: the What Car? Car of the Year Award for 2017. 

The newcomer took the top honour, along with the Best Luxury Car category award, at the magazine’s annual presentation event, staged on 11 January in London.

At the awards, Editorial Director at What Car?, Jim Holder, said: “It’s hard to recall another year with so many exceptional new models vying for our overall Car of the Year award, which makes the BMW 5 Series’ victory all the more impressive.”

“The 520d SE with optional variable dampers is the pick of the 5 Series range. But whichever version you choose, you’ll be getting one of the classiest and most comfortable cars on sale today,” said Holder.

The BMW 5 Series has also been awarded the title of Best Luxury Car with the judges praising its semi-autonomous drive capability, driving dynamics and high level of standard equipment.

Hildegard Wortmann, BMW Group’s Senior Vice President, BMW Brand, collected the award on the night and commented: “For the BMW 5 Series to win the prestigious ‘Car of the Year’ award is an honour and testament to the hard work that goes into producing one of BMW’s core models. 

The BMW 5 Series is a brand shaping saloon and in times of rapid change within the automotive industry we believe the seventh generation model points the way into the future. It is a truly outstanding car and I am very grateful to What Car? for this great recognition.”

With approximately 7.9 million BMW 5 Series cars sold across the globe thus far, the seventh generation BMW 5 Series continues the finest tradition of its forebears by offering an unsurpassed blend of driving dynamics, comfort and functionality. 

The latest BMW 5 Series Saloon uses the very latest technology from within BMW to create a saloon that’s more refined than ever before, significantly lighter, safer, and more fuel efficient. The new generation family of TwinPower Turbo engines provide impressive performance gains, but also show major advances in reducing fuel consumption and emissions. An extensive suite of driver assistance technologies including BMW Lane Keeping Assistant and Lane Change Assistant mean that not only does the new BMW 5 Series Saloon reduce the driver’s workload like never before, it also takes a notable step towards fully autonomous driving.

Other technologies include, Remote Control Parking – as seen first on the new BMW 7 Series – and the optional Parking Assistant and Parking Assistant Plus packages, which enable automated parking with the greatest of ease in both parallel parking spaces and perpendicular or angled spaces. Surround View and Remote 3D View offer peace of mind to anyone who frequently finds themselves manoeuvring in awkward traffic situations and the optional Display Key offers a host of other functions with Remote operation of the auxiliary ventilation being just one example.

As standard on the BMW 5 Series, the latest generation of the Professional Navigation system boasts a fast start-up, even faster route calculation and more realistic 3D graphics in cities. BMW is now the first carmaker to offer Microsoft Office 365 users a secure server connection for exchanging and editing emails, calendar entries and contact details thanks to the car’s built-in Microsoft Exchange function.

BMW 5 Series is available to order now, prices start from £36,025 OTR.

In addition to the outright accolades, two more BMW models received price point plaudits – in the '£20,000-£40,000’ category, the BMW i3 94Ah earned a win in the Electric Car category and in the Hot Hatch category the BMW M140i was rated as the pick of the bunch in the ‘more than £25,000’ bracket.

The BMW i3 94Ah replaced the previous 60Ah model and has a capacity of 33kWh thanks to the higher storage density of the lithium ion cells. With the range increased to a maximum of 195 miles according to the NEDC cycle the judges on the What Car? editorial team commended the BMW i3 94Ah for its premium feel, comfort and its sustainable production methods. As for the BMW M140i, the judges applauded the eight-speed automatic gearbox for “contributing to the car’s remarkable dual personality”.

TELEGRAPH AWARDS - The new Rolls Royce Dawn takes the Luxury Car award, and well deserved it is too.

The Daily Telegraph has declared Rolls-Royce Dawn its ‘Luxury Car of the Year’ in its annual Telegraph Cars Awards.  The winners were selected by a panel of expert judges, road testers and some of the most respected commentators in the automotive world.

 

In bestowing this most prestigious honour, the judges declared, “Dawn defines the very essence of luxury motoring. There is no other car that is more relaxing to drive or makes its occupants feel so special.”

The award is one of many major international accolades Dawn has been honoured with since its global launch in March 2016 including the Telegraph’s Luxury supplement, who declared Dawn their 2015 Car of the Year.

“As the summer season begins, Dawn is already lighting up some of the world’s most desirable hotspots, presenting true patrons of luxury with the most glamorous, social Rolls-Royce in history,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. “The plaudits we are receiving from the world’s most important publications reflects the phenomenal demand we are experiencing for the car from a new, dynamic breed of successful men and women.”

The launch of Dawn represents a seminal moment for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and promises to attract a new breed of successful, younger and dynamic customers through a highly contemporary, beautiful expression of Rolls-Royce aesthetics.

AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - Mercedes takes two awards and one highly commended at this years ceremony.

Mercedes-Benz has scooped two awards at this year’s Auto Express New Car Awards in London. The S-Class has once again been named ‘Best Luxury Car’, while the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class has won the ‘Best Executive Car’ title. The GLC was also highly commended in the Compact SUV segment.

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The S-Class, which has held the ‘Best Luxury Car’ title for three consecutive years, was recognised for its ‘cutting-edge tech’, ‘effortless comfort’ and ‘beautifully crafted cabin’.

The Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which has been on sale in the UK since February, beat the competition thanks to its stylish looks, advanced technology and driving characteristics. The E-Class was also awarded five out of five in Auto Express’s full review.

Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief, Auto Express, commented: “Mercedes-Benz has moved the goalposts in the executive market with the new E-Class. It offers imperious quality and refinement, stylish looks, advanced tech and is great to drive, too, marking itself out as an unbeatable package for executive car buyers.”

On the S-Class’s reign as ‘Best Luxury Car’, Steve added: “The S-Class remains the benchmark for all other luxury cars to aspire to. The combination of cutting-edge tech, effortless comfort and a beautifully crafted cabin makes it a deserving winner of our award for the third year in a row.”

Collecting the awards on behalf of Mercedes-Benz, Gary Lee, Head of Product Management, said: “The E-Class is at the heart of the Mercedes-Benz model range, and it’s fantastic to see this car getting the recognition it deserves. The new E-Class is the most technologically advanced executive car on the market. The S-Class sets the benchmark for luxury saloons, and we’re delighted that Auto Express agrees.”

TELEGRAPH AWARDS - Bentley takes the Best Luxury Car gong at this weeks ceremony.

• British-built four-door saloon takes top honours in online poll
• The world’s best luxury sedan praised for being ‘as enjoyable to drive as it is to be chauffeured in.’
• Flying Spur enhanced for 2015 with suite of new features and colours

Bentley’s Flying Spur has been named Best Luxury Car in the 2015 Telegraph Car Awards. The result, which was announced at an event in central London today, was decided by members of the public who voted for their favourite cars via the Telegraph’s Motoring website.

Kevin Rose, Bentley Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, commented: “Bentley is the most successful luxury car brand in the world. Every Bentley is handcrafted by our skilled and dedicated team in Crewe, which makes each car a true luxury possession. On behalf of Bentley Motors and our 3,800 colleagues, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone that voted for us.”

Steve Huntingford, Cars Editor at The Telegraph, added: "The latest Flying Spur manages to feel both traditional and modern, plus it's as enjoyable to drive as it is to be chauffeured in. It's easy to see why Telegraph readers and our panel of judges rate it so highly."

The Flying Spur W12 is the fastest road-going luxury sedan in the world, powered by Bentley’s mighty 6.0-litre, twin turbo engine.  

It develops 625 PS, sprinting from 0-60 mph in just 4.3 seconds, while a new variable displacement system allows the engine to run at part throttle on six of its 12 cylinders – reducing emissions and fuel consumption with no impact on refinement or performance.  The athletic design of the new Flying Spur combines traditional Bentley styling cues with a dynamic stance and contemporary details.

Designed for comfort and refinement as well as effortless performance, the Flying Spur has benefitted from a suite of enhancements for 2015. 

The exquisite cabin gains modern and tactile new features to maintain Bentley’s reputation for interior style and usability, such as an on-board WiFi hotspot system, making the Flying Spur the ultimate luxury car for work or relaxation on the move. 

Complementing the feature upgrades are new paint colours in the hues of Marlin, Camel and Jetstream and the addition of Shortbread and Camel hides to the extensive range of leathers.

FLEET WORLD HONOURS - Mercedes takes a triple win at this years awards.

• Mercedes-Benz wins Fleet Manufacturer of the Year 2015
• Mercedes-Benz S-Class recognised as ‘Best Luxury Car’
• Mercedes-Benz C-Class awarded ‘Best Executive Compact Car’
• The Awards recognise innovation, quality and sustainability across the Fleet Industry

Mercedes-Benz has been recognised as the best in the Fleet Industry by winning the prestigious Fleet Manufacturer of the Year 2015 Award at the Fleet World Honours 2015.

The Fleet World Honours – divided into a series of categories representing car and fleet management – recognise innovation, quality and sustainability and the judges look for evidence of these characteristics when evaluating submissions.

In announcing the Fleet Manufacturer of the Year Award, Steve Moody, Editor of Fleet World magazine, commented: “The progression has continued for Mercedes-Benz with year-on-year fleet sales increases and an ever-strengthening line-up of vehicles, such as the A-Class, GLA-Class and the excellent new C-Class. The result is a wide range of cars and an offering that is second to none in the fleet market.”

Sally Dennis, Head of Fleet at Mercedes-Benz UK, said: “We are extremely proud to be recognised as the Fleet Manufacturer of the Year 2015. It’s a testament to our Fleet Team, our Retailer partners, the unrivalled product over recent years and our development of the  Mercedes-Benz Fleet offering to the Fleet and Business Industry.”

In announcing the S-Class Award for Best Luxury Car, Steve Moody, said:  “The S-Class continues to set the benchmark in the luxury sector with its quality, comfort and refinement, and while many imitate, few manage to beat it. The choice of super smooth diesels, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains mean there always the right type of car for every senior executive.”

In the UK, the S-Class – priced from £66,910 OTR – remains the number one luxury car in its market segment with over 2,700 vehicles registered in 2014 and over 1,400 vehicles registered so far this year.

In announcing the C-Class Award for Best Executive Compact Car, Steve Moody, commented: “Mercedes-Benz seems to have skipped a generation with the C-Class, which now looks and feels like a downsized S-Class. Technology-rich, its home to the best interior in the segment and features a wide choice of engines, including diesel hybrid and a plug-in hybrid version. This should prove invaluable for the brand’s aspirations in the premium sector.”

The C-Class – priced from £27,270 OTR – returns up to 134.5 mpg with CO₂ emissions from 48 g/km. Almost 20,000 C-Class vehicles have been registered so far this year with almost 7,500 registered to the Fleet industry.

Hyundai takes "Best Luxury Car" award for the Genesis at the 2015 Hispanic Motor Press Awards.

The prestigious award was presented during the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show

The all-new 2015 Hyundai Genesis was named today a Top Ten Car of 2015 by the jurors of the Hispanic Motor Press Awards. Honored as the “Best Luxury Car” at the annual Los Angeles Auto Show, the 2015 Genesis represents a bold step forward for Hyundai as it also has proven to have the ability to appeal to a wide variety of demographics in a very competitive market.

“There are a lot of good luxury vehicles in the market. This was the hardest segment for the jury to come up with just one car. At the end, the Hyundai took the top spot as it not only offers premium quality, great workmanship and finish, excellent warranty, and the option of a V6 or V8, but the pricing for all offered the best package for the Hispanic family,” said Ricardo Rodriguez-Long, Jury Director for the Hispanic Motor Press Awards. 

“Definitely, Hyundai has arrived to the top and the Genesis is proof that they can compete on a very demanding segment.”

For the 5^th annual Hispanic Motor Press Awards, the jury panel was comprised of ten distinguished national Hispanic automotive journalists. The judging committee evaluated the vehicles keeping the Hispanic audience’s preferences foremost in mind.

“We are honored that the 2015 Hyundai Genesis has been named ‘Best Luxury Car’ by the Hispanic Motor Press Awards,” said Mike O’Brien, Vice President, Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. 

“The all-new Genesis carries a host of premium features and improved dynamics. It also continues to deliver the highest levels of safety and technology along with an exceptional value. Hispanic families looking for accessible luxury should add this vehicle to their short lists.”

Only vehicles that are all new and available to consumers in all 50 states were eligible for consideration in their respective segments. Winners in the 10 vehicle categories were selected based on design, comfort, safety, economy, handling, performance, functionality, environmental requirements, driver satisfaction and value.

This is the second time Hyundai has been recognized by the Hispanic Motor Press Awards. The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe was named the best vehicle in the Sport Utility Vehicle category in 2012.

Riding on a completely revamped platform, the 2015 Hyundai Genesis is stiffer and stronger than before. A suite of advanced assistance features such as Rear Cross-traffic Alert, Lane Change Assist, Blind-Spot Detection and Smart Cruise Control are offered. 

Two engine options are available: a 311 horsepower 3.8 liter V6 and a 420 horsepower 5.0 liter V8, while an advanced HTRAC AWD system is available for the first time on a Hyundai passenger car. With base pricing starting at $38,000, the 2015 Hyundai Genesis is a premium sedan the whole family can enjoy for years to come.