WHAT CAR AWARDS - The VW Touran wins best MPV and the Tiguan a best buy recommendation.

• Touran is once again named Best MPV by What Car?
• New Tiguan SUV secures a ‘best buy’ recommendation
• Tiguan also features among finalists in Safety Award

Volkswagen is celebrating an award-winning start to 2017 with the brand’s popular and flexible Touran people carrier maintaining its pole position as Best MPV in the renowned What Car? Awards.

Meanwhile, the recently-launched Tiguan takes a price point title in the awards’ Small SUV category, with the Tiguan 2.0 TDI 150 SE Navigation named ‘Best Buy, more than £25,000’ at the annual celebration of motoring excellence. 

And the Tiguan shows its breadth of capability by also being named a finalist in the What Car? Safety Award.

Scoring a second consecutive win in the hotly-contested MPV class What Car? judges said of the seven-seat Touran – winner of the ‘Best Buy £20,000-£26,000’ section in 1.6 TDI 115 SE form as well as overall victor in the MPV category: “For class-leading space and practicality, look no further than the Volkswagen Touran. This seven-seat MPV has an impressively roomy interior, with masses of space in the front and back, as well as a third row of seats that can be easily folded away to increase boot capacity.

“The interior is well built and all the materials used feel classy, and it’s roomier than rivals such as the Ford S-Max and Citroën Grand C4 Picasso. As well as being incredibly practical, the Touran is also great to drive. The Touran is big, but isn’t at all cumbersome or heavy to manoeuvre. The 1.6-litre diesel engine offers gutsy performance and will easily haul around seven people and a full load of luggage.

“It’s efficient too: the Touran achieved 50.9mpg in our real-world True MPG fuel economy test. SE trim gets all the kit you’ll need, including an intuitive infotainment touchscreen, a DAB radio and automatic lights and wipers. It’s good news on the finance front, too, with some great PCP deals available.”

Turning to small SUV price point victor the new Tiguan, which launched in the UK in the summer of 2016 and is already building on the sales success of its predecessor, What Car? Editor Steve Huntingford said: “Inside, its slick switches, piano black plastics and soft surfaces make it feel worth its premium. But it doesn’t just look the part because the Tiguan has a massive amount of interior space, while its rear seats can be slid back and forth for increased practicality. It’s rounded off with a spacious boot.

“We think the 2.0-litre diesel engine makes a great companion, and it has enough low-rev pull to ensure hauling a fully loaded car is no issue. Couple that with competitive CO₂ emissions and fuel economy, and it’s a mighty fine package.”

Commenting on the Tiguan’s finalist position in the What Car? Safety Award Steve said: “The Tiguan has the highest adult occupant protection score of any car here, and because that’s the score most buyers will look towards first when choosing a car, we’ve given it extra credit.

“The Tiguan also scores very well when it comes to keeping children and pedestrians safe, and it’s those consistently high scores which impressed our panel.”

Discussing the early year silverware Alison Jones, Director of Volkswagen UK, said: “The Touran’s second successive What Car? award underlines this practical Volkswagen’s brilliance. Safe, flexible, efficient and stylish, the Touran is the family MPV that ticks every box.

“Meanwhile, for the new Tiguan to have been recommended above all others in the £25,000-plus price point underscores the brilliance of this exceptional new SUV. That the Tiguan was also in the running for What Car?’s Safety Award should also reassure families that, in selecting this as their next new car, they’re buying into one of the most impressive new SUVs on the road today.”

WHAT CAR AWARDS - The Dacia Sandero takes the best small car for the fifth year running.

• New Dacia Sandero wins ‘Best Small Car under £12,000’
• Fifth consecutive win for Dacia supermini at What Car? Awards
• New Sandero now on sale with specification and design upgrades and a new SCe 75 1.0-litre engine
• New Sandero available from £5,995 on-the-road
• More than 90,000 Dacias sold in the UK since launching in 2013

The Dacia Sandero has been awarded ‘Best Small Car for less than £12,000’ for the fifth consecutive year by What Car? at an awards ceremony in London this evening.

The Sandero first picked up the award in 2013, following Dacia’s entrance into the UK car market, and again in 2014, 2015 and 2016. 

Having undergone a series of recent updates for the 2017 Model Year, the supermini has taken the honours once more, underlining its ability to provide a class leading mix of practicality, comfort and low running costs. 

Its shockingly affordable £5,995 price tag is just half the amount of the category it competes in.

Commenting on the decision to give the award to the Sandero for the fifth time, Steve Huntingford, Editor, What Car?, said: “You won’t find this much space for so little in any other new car. 

A recent facelift brought an updated, higher quality interior. The Sandero also feels better to drive: the handling is tidy enough and the ride is surprisingly comfy for such a cheap car. You can buy a Sandero for less than £6,000, but we recommend spending a little more to get mid-range Ambiance trim. 

This adds niceties such as air-conditioning, central locking, electric front windows, a DAB radio and Bluetooth. It also replaces the standard black plastic bumpers with body-coloured ones that look a lot smarter. At this price point, only the Ford Ka+ comes close, and although that’s better to drive, the Sandero is more practical and a fair bit cheaper.”

Commenting on the result, Louise O’Sullivan, Head of Dacia UK said: “We’re delighted that the Sandero has been recognised by the judges at What Car? for a fifth consecutive year. The New Sandero offers customers even more value for money with upgrades to the interior and exterior as well as enhanced level of equipment while remaining the most affordable new car in the UK.”

The Dacia Sandero is a five-door hatchback, available in three trim levels with a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel engine. Pricing starts from £5,995, making it the lowest priced new car on sale in the UK today. The new interior and exterior upgrades for 2017 provide a more elegant and contemporary finish whilst providing the customer additional value and practicality.

The specific Ambiance version chosen by What Car? now comes with more features as standard such as air conditioning and DAB radio – it is the most affordable car on sale in the UK with air conditioning as standard. This is in addition to Bluetooth connectivity, electric windows and remote central locking. The new SCe 75 1.0-litre engine produces the same power as the outgoing 1.2-litre but delivers up to 10 per cent more efficiency.

The Dacia brand continues to go from strength to strength with 26,499 new Dacia vehicles sold during 2016, it’s best-ever year of sales in the UK.

WHAT CAR AWARDS - Suzuki makes it three with a price point win for the 6th time for the Swift Sport.

• Three-door Swift Sport wins ‘Best Buy’ hot hatch for less than £15,000 for the sixth consecutive year.
• Achieves 45.2mpg in ‘True MPG’ fuel economy test – more economical than official EC combined figure.

Suzuki celebrated again at the 2017 What Car? Magazine awards in London last night with the Swift Sport awarded a price point win for the sixth year in a row. The performance flagship of the Swift range was comprehensively judged by the editorial team and the final vote resulted in the three door model yet again receiving the ‘Best Buy Hot hatch for less than £15,000’.

First introduced in January 2012 and with more than 6,000 sold in the UK, the Swift Sport has a high standard specification that includes satellite navigation, DAB radio, USB connection and auto air conditioning.

Steve Huntingford, Editor of What Car? comments: “The Suzuki Swift Sport is a reminder of the way hot hatches used to be – and it’s none the worse for that. Whereas all of its rivals now have turbocharged engines that pull strongly from low revs, the Sport uses a naturally aspirated 1.6 that’s most rewarding when you thrash it. True, it’s ultimately not that fast, but this just means you can use every ounce of the car’s performance without having to fear for your driving licence.

"The Sport also feels light on its feet and, thanks to its diminutive size, you can push it hard even on narrow country roads without feeling like you have to breathe in when something comes the other way. Then there’s the car’s sensible side. Suzuki was runner-up in our most recent reliability survey, so the Swift Sport should prove dependable, and it returned a very respectable 45.2mpg in its real-world True MPG fuel economy test. Although we’d opt for the cheaper three-door model to keep the price as low as possible, a five-door version is available if you decide you need better access to the rear seats.”

Swift Sport is available in a choice of four standard metallic paint finishes and is also  equipped with seven airbags, cruise control, High Intensity Discharge headlamps, rear privacy glass and 17-inch alloy wheels. In addition to satellite navigation and DAB radio, the Sport also has voice recognition, Bluetooth and music streaming compatibility.

WHAT CAR AWARDS - The Renault ZOE named overall Best Electric car this year.

• Renault ZOE named overall ‘Best Electric Car’
• Renault ZOE named ‘Best Electric Car under £20,000’ for fourth consecutive year
• ZOE also a finalist for the Technology Award 
• ZOE now provides range of up to 250 miles (NEDC) – the longest of any mainstream electric vehicle
• ZOE available from £13,995 (after Plug-in Car Grant)

The Renault ZOE has been recognised for the fourth consecutive year by What Car?  judges, being named ‘Best Electric Car’, as well as ‘Best Electric Car for less than £20,000’, with its all-electric ZOE Q90 Z.E.40 Dynamique Nav, at an awards ceremony in London this evening.

The Renault ZOE, fitted with the new Z.E.40 battery, has been recognised by the What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2017 and was also a finalist in the Technology Award. The new Z.E. 40 battery provides almost double the previous storage capacity, delivering a 250-mile range (NEDC) whilst retaining fast charging times at an accessible price.

Commenting on the decision to award the ZOE for a fourth consecutive year, Steve Huntingford, Editor, What Car? said: “Given the rate of progress in this class during the past 12 months, this win shows just how much this recent update has improved the ZOE. Realistically, it’s now possible to drive for 174 miles between each charge, up from the 106 miles of the previous battery. And Renault has kept everything that was already great about the ZOE: its practicality, tidy handling and standard kit. Plus, while range is up dramatically, price isn’t. And to include many of the latest comfort and infotainment features as well as fast charging at this price makes the ZOE a truly brilliant all-rounder.”

“Having already won our Electric Car of the Year award, the latest Renault ZOE also impressed our Technology Award judges, because it represents a significant step towards overcoming ‘range anxiety’. The only other electric cars in the UK that are capable of travelling up to 250 miles between charges come from Tesla. But while the trendy Californian firm’s Model S costs from £64,000, our favoured ZOE can be yours for £18,595.”

“Dynamique Nav trim is your best bet. It gets 16-inch alloys, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto lights and wipers and a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen with Bluetooth, sat-nav and a DAB radio. Our favoured Quick Charge (Q90) car can be charged to 80% in just 65 minutes on a 43kW fast charge,” added Huntingford.

Paul Flanagan, Managing Director, Renault UK, said of the result: “The new 2017 model year Renault ZOE now delivers the best range of any mainstream electric vehicle which, along with interior and exterior upgrades, continues to prove that zero emissions vehicles can be stylish, practical and comfortable. We’re delighted that What Car? has recognised the ZOE’s talents for the fourth year in a row by naming it their best electric car of the year.”

The ZOE is an all-electric, five-door supermini available in a choice of three trim levels and with two battery options. Despite its affordability, the entry level Expression Nav comes with a high level of standard specification including items such as climate control and the 7-inch touch screen R-Link 2 infotainment system with sat nav. In What Car?’s favoured trim level, Dynamique Nav, the features include hands free keycard, automatic lights and wipers and rear parking sensors. The all-new top-of-the-range Signature Nav trim provides buyers with features including supple leather upholstery, a seven speaker BOSE® audio system, heated front seats and a rear parking camera. 

With the new R90 Z.E.40 battery, ZOE’s range is 250 miles (NEDC) – Renault estimates that in real-world driving conditions that this equates to around 186 miles in summer and 124 miles in cold winter conditions. ZOE can charge from zero to 80 per cent full in as little as 60 minutes thanks to its patented Chameleon Charger™ that allows it to make the most of the widest range of power supplies and also keep charging times to a minimum. Renault’s Range OptimiZer technology ensures ZOE is highly efficient with its heat pump, a bi-modal braking system and Michelin ENERGY E-V tyres. 

Two new apps to make ZOE ownership an even easier experience, Z.E. Trip and Z.E. Pass, will be rolled out in the UK during 2017. Z.E. Trip makes long-distance driving a breeze in the ZOE by allowing drivers to locate all public charging points in many European countries and indicates their real-time availability.

The Z.E. Pass app makes charging easier at many public charging points across Europe regardless of network . The driver can pay using the specific smartphone app or with an RFID card. They can also locate available charging points and compare prices at different points nearby using their smartphone or tablet without having to be a registered member of each network.

ZOE is available to purchase in two ways. Firstly, under a battery hire scheme, where ZOE pricing starts at £13,995 (OTR) after the Government Plug-in Car Grant with battery leasing from £49 per month. New for 2017 is the ‘Unlimited’ option with no mileage cap, priced at £110 per month.

You can also buy the ZOE outright. ZOE i ‘full purchase’ models start from £18,995 (OTR) after the Government Plug-in Car Grant, giving the buyer full ownership of the car and battery and no monthly battery lease payment.

The What Car? award builds on ZOE’s other recent achievements that include a Which? ‘Best Buy’ 2016, ‘Best Electric Car’ CarBuyer, ‘Best Supermini’ Next Green Car Awards, ‘Overall Champion Winner 2016’ Green Apple Auto Awards and being named ‘Best Supermini’ and finishing second overall out of 183 vehicles in the Auto Express Driver Power Awards 2016 results.

ZOE is the best-selling electric vehicle in Europe and more than 4500 ZOE have been sold since launching in the UK in 2013. ZOE is one of three models in Renault’s diverse electric vehicle range which also includes the Twizy quadricycle and the Kangoo Van Z.E.

Technical Information

ZOE version	Battery	Charge Time (0-80%, 43kW chargepoint)	Charge Time (0-100%, 7kW at home)	Range (miles)(Winter)	Range (miles)(Summer)	Range (miles)(NEDC)
Expression Nav R90 22kW	22kWh	1h00	4h00	71	106	149
Dynamique Nav R90 Z.E.40	41kWh	1h40	7h25	124	186	250
Dynamique Nav Q90 Z.E.40	41kWh	1h 05	8h25	112	174	230
Signature Nav R90 Z.E.40	41kWh	1h 40	7h25	124	186	250
Signature Nav Q90 Z.E.40	41kWh	1h 05	8h25	112	174	230

Ownership Information & Pricing

ZOE version	BIK (band %)	Range (NEDC miles)	VED (band)	Ins. group	Price (after PiCG)*
Expression Nav R90 22kW	7%	149	A	TBC	£13,995
Dynamique Nav R90 Z.E.40	7%	250	A	TBC	£17,845
Dynamique Nav Q90 Z.E.40	7%	230	A	TBC	£18,595
Signature Nav R90 Z.E.40	7%	250	A	TBC	£19,895
Signature Nav Q90 Z.E.40	7%	230	A	TBC	£20,645

*= plus monthly battery lease

Ownership Information & Pricing – Full Purchase

ZOE version	BIK (band %)	Range (NEDC miles)	VED (band)	Ins. group	Price (after PiCG)
iExpression Nav R90 22kW	7%	149	A	TBC	£18,995
iDynamique Nav R90 Z.E.40	7%	250	A	TBC	£23,445
iDynamique Nav Q90 Z.E.40	7%	230	A	TBC	£24,195
iSignature Nav R90 Z.E.40	7%	250	A	TBC	£25,495
iSignature Nav Q90 Z.E.40	7%	230	A	TBC	£26,245