GENEVA - Volvo wins the Production car, Design Of The Year award for the beautiful S90 Saloon.

Volvo Cars’ S90 premium saloon has been voted Production Car Design of the Year 2015 by a panel of professional car designers from around the globe.

The award, presented by Car Design News, represents the pinnacle of automotive design awards. The jury is made up of 18 top car designers from around the world, from companies such as Bentley, Daimler, Ferrari and McLaren.

“Our use of high-end materials, classic proportions and controlled surfacing reflects our intention to forge our own path. We don’t want to fit in, we want to stand out,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President of Design at Volvo Car Group.

Volvo Cars’ interiors have received a lot of attention in recent times thanks to the serene nature of the design and the use of key design elements, exemplified by the elegant air blades and control surfaces in the new S90.

The Volvo S90 was chosen by the 18-strong panel of judges from a list of 20 contenders. The premium saloon received praise for its great proportions, authentic use of materials and timeless design.

Commenting on the award, Car Design News editor Owen Ready said that the S90 was recognised “for its priority of clear, calm design over the ‘styling entertainment’ that has been plaguing the industry for too long”.

The award was presented at a ceremony hosted by Car Design News in Geneva.

GENEVA - Maserati Alfieri named 2014 concept Car Of The Year, and a well deserved award it tis too.

Last night, the Maserati Alfieri Concept was announced as ‘2014 Concept Car of the Year’ at the prestigious Car Design Night in Geneva, organised by Car Design News and attended by the industry’s leading automotive designers.

The Alfieri Concept was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2014; a striking 2+2 concept car celebrating the brand’s centenary, with the name Alfieri commemorating the most prominent of the founding Maserati brothers. The concept car was designed at the Centro Stile in Turin, masterminded by Head of the Centro Stile Lorenzo Ramaciotti and led by Marco Tencone, who proudly accepted the Car Designs of the Year award on Maserati’s behalf.

Due to the overwhelmingly positive reaction when it was first shown, the Maserati Alfieri is now confirmed for production in 2017 followed by a cabriolet version later on.

The Car Designs of the Year Awards are completely independent in that the judging panel is made up of a truly global cross-section of professional designers from carmakers, educational establishments and suppliers from major players including Daimler, Jaguar, Volvo, General Motors, Hyundai, Lear, Coventry University and Renault Group.

Owen Ready, Editor Car Design News said, “The design of sports cars with fine volumes and beautiful proportions is something Italian car design has long excelled at, but the Alfieri’s more contemporary design elements have been executed with impeccable judgement. The result is a classic Italian sports car which is utterly modern.”

The Alfieri Concept was first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2014; a striking 2+2 concept car celebrating the brand’s centenary, with the name Alfieri commemorating the most prominent of the founding Maserati brothers. The concept car was designed at the Centro Stile in Turin, masterminded by Head of the Centro Stile Lorenzo Ramaciotti and led by Marco Tencone, who proudly accepted the Car Designs of the Year award on Maserati’s behalf.

Citroën C4 Cactus has been named ‘Production Car of the Year’ by Car Design News.

The bold design and styling of the New Citroën C4 Cactus has been recognised by Car Design News, which has named it their ‘Production Car of the Year’. Judged by a panel of design experts and industry professionals, the award was presented at the Car Design Night in Geneva earlier this week.

Car Design News is a leading resource for automotive design industry professionals. Since 1999 it has provided invaluable information, advice and insights to students and design directors alike, thanks to its network of writers and industry analysts. Car Design News’ primary presence is online, allowing it to deliver the latest news, reviews and opinions to the design community.

The Car Design News awards are completely independent and the judges simply had to choose their top three production cars from 12 contenders to decide the victor in the production car category.

Editor of Car Design News, Owen Ready, said; “Every so often, a product appears that manages to side-step the usual product replacement-driven development cycles and rigid marketing requirements. A design that is both against the grain, yet perfectly adapted. 

Citroën’s C4 Cactus is a prime example of this rarefied breed, a fact illustrated by its dominance in this year’s judging process.”

Bek Hassan, Citroën’s Brand Director in the UK, said; “It’s fantastic that C4 Cactus has been honoured by Car Design News. This award is presented by professionals who design cars themselves, so it speaks volumes about the creative talent we have working for the brand. I would like to congratulate Alexandre Malval, the Head of Citroën Design, and his team on their success. The C4 Cactus embodies the positioning of the Citroën brand, so it’s a ringing endorsement for our future design strategy.”

The C4 Cactus has been honoured with a variety of industry awards since it first launched in September 2014, including the highly-prized BBC TopGear Magazine ‘Hatchback of the Year’ accolade.

The Citroën C4 Cactus will be on display on the Citroën stand at the Geneva Motor Show from 5 to 15 March.