Cars from ten Brands have been hailed best in class after round 1 of the UK Car Of The Year 2017 awards.

• Shortlist for UK Car of the Year 2017 announced – 12 cars from 56 entrants
• Winners in categories from small hatch to performance car, as well as luxury
• Hyundai, Toyota, Renault and SEAT all register first-ever wins in the annual awards
• Overall winner to be announced on 24th February 2017

Cars from ten different manufacturers have been hailed best-in-class after the first round of voting in the UK Car of the Year Awards 2017, supported by Cox Automotive, whose UK brands include Manheim and Motors.co.uk. With the winners of the 12 categories now decided, the successful models go on to battle it out for the title of UK Car of the Year 2017.

Winning their first UK Car of the Year Awards were Hyundai, Toyota, Renault and SEAT. In the Best Small Hatch class, the Hyundai IONIQ beat off stiff competition to win, while the latest generation of Toyota’s Prius was voted Best Family Car. 

Renault’s Scénic/Grand Scénic has been named Best MPV, and in the popular category of Best Crossover the SEAT Ateca took the honours.

The UK Car of the Year Awards 2017 proved fruitful for two German manufacturers, as Mercedes-Benz and Porsche claimed two prizes apiece. In the Best Executive Car category, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class took top spot, while the S-Class Cabriolet was hailed as Best Cabriolet. The Porsche pairing of the 718 Cayman and Boxster were voted Best Coupe and Best Sports Car respectively.

After winning the title of Best Luxury Car in 2015 with its Ghost, Rolls-Royce once again triumphed in the category with the Dawn. At the other end of the driving spectrum, Ford reclaimed the Best Performance Car crown with the Focus RS, having previously won the category in 2014 with the Fiesta ST. Best Estate Car was judged to be Volvo’s V90 and the new Large Crossover category was won by the Jaguar F-Pace.

The overall UK Car of the Year 2017 will be announced on 24th February 2017. Previous winners of the award are: BMW i3 (2014); BMW i8 (2015) and Mazda MX-5 (2016).

Full list of UK Car of the Year Awards 2017 category winners:

Best Small Hatch – Hyundai IONIQ

Best Family Car – Toyota Prius

Best Executive Car – Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Best Luxury Car – Rolls-Royce Dawn

Best Estate Car – Volvo V90

Best MPV – Renault Scénic/Grand Scénic

Best Crossover – SEAT Ateca

Best Large Crossover – Jaguar F-Pace

Best Coupe – Porsche 718 Cayman

Best Cabriolet – Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

Best Sports Car – Porsche 718 Boxster

Best Performance Car – Ford Focus RS

30 years after the police tested the Ford RS200 rally car for motorway driving, they now trial the Focus RS.

The world’s most exclusive ‘police-car’ – based on the multi-award-winning Ford Focus RS – has been on test with police forces across the UK. The £31,250, four-wheel-drive, front-engined hyper hatch reaches 60mph from a standing start in under five seconds.

This special version of the Focus RS – on trial exactly 30 years after a Ford RS200 police car was put to the test - could be voted a ‘stunning hit’ by expert traffic policemen lucky enough to get behind the wheel, and is sure to intimidate would-be speeders.

Powered by a 2.3-litre turbocharged, 16-valve, four-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engine, the Focus RS develops 345bhp in standard road-going form – meaning that even the fastest Ford RS models of 30 years ago are no match for the Ford RS police cars of today.

The body was designed by Ford of Europe Design’s Ernesto Rupar, while the mechanical design and development was the responsibility of Ford Performance’s chief engineer, Tyrone Johnson. The Focus RS has won a host of awards since its launch, including Top Gear Magazine’s Car of the Year 2016.

Law-breakers would be relieved to learn that, due to limited production numbers, Ford does not expect many police forces to offer a patrol car capable of catching anything on the road. “But until they have tried it we won’t know whether it meets any specialist need”, said Terry Adams, Ford’s police sales manager.

Most forces will continue to rely on the standard Ford Focus and Ford’s biggest-selling police vehicle, the Transit Custom, for patrol duties. Ford supplies more than 1,500 vehicles to Britain’s police forces across the country, including the Ford Kuga and Ford Ranger in rural areas.

Unlike the RS200, the Focus RS includes most practicalities expected of a police patrol car, including rear doors for suspected criminal accommodation and a boot large enough for traffic cones.

New Ford video shows some of the world’s best drone pilots tackling a unique and challenging course involving a Focus RS, a Mustang & a robot.

• New Ford video shows some of the world’s best drone pilots tackling a unique and challenging course involving a drifting Focus RS, a smoking Ford Mustang – and a robot
• Drone racing stars Luke Bannister and Brett Collis also pilot their drones under a Ranger pickup and through a B-MAX car, navigating remotely with the help of special goggles
• “Dronekhana” was filmed at Ford’s European HQ in Cologne, Germany, the city that this week hosts Gamescom – Europe’s biggest interactive games trade fair. Ford, also this week, will target gaming GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title with the Ford GT supercar

Ford has brought together one of the world’s most exciting new sports and some of its finest fast cars to create a new video called “Dronekhana”.

Two of the planet’s best drone pilots tackle a unique obstacle course that includes a drifting Focus RS, a smoking Ford Mustang, and a robot. 

Pilots Luke Bannister and Brett Collis navigate their drones remotely with the help of special goggles, which provide a first-person view as they fly under the Ford Ranger pickup and through the Ford B-MAX’s pillarless doors. 

A rig of 36 GoPro cameras captured the drones mid-action in a style made famous by the 1999 film The Matrix.

“It’s basically like stepping into the cockpit. It was a tough course and we had some mishaps – but at least the Mustang’s all right, that’s all that matters,” said 16-year-old World Drone Prix champion Luke Bannister who took on the course with Tornado XBlades team mate and fellow Brit, Brett Collis, 22.

Named in tribute to the YouTube phenomenon Gymkhana, starring Focus RS consultant Ken Block, “Dronekhana” was filmed at Ford’s European headquarters in Cologne, Germany, the city which this week hosts Gamescom Europe’s biggest interactive games trade fair. 

It follows previous “Snowkhana” videos that have become a festive Ford tradition.

Ford has also invited five gamers from across Europe to Cologne to try to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the “Longest video marathon on a racing game”, in Forza Motorsport 6. 

They face a two day stint behind the wheel of a virtual Ford GT race car to take on the simulated Le Sarthe circuit used for the Le Mans 24 Hours – where the real-life Ford GT race car won earlier this year. To set a new record, the gamers will need to race for more than 48 hours 1 minute – starting at 14:00 C.E.T on Tuesday Aug. 16. 

If successful, a presentation will be made to the record-breaking gamer on the Microsoft stand, at Gamescom, on Thursday.

You have heard of "Horse Whisper's" well, Ford has "Engine Listeners" to listen for faults on various models.

• Ford “engine listeners” perform special checks in sound-proofed cells to identify the tiniest engine issues as part of rigorous quality tests for the Ford Focus RS performance car
• Months of training ensures employees can – in less than a minute – pick up any imperfections that are then addressed before engines are fitted to the hot hatches
• Ford also uses the same test for further fuel-efficient and powerful EcoBoost engines that are used in models including Ford Focus ST, S-MAX, and Mondeo

From wine tasting to tuning concert pianos, sometimes there is no substitute for the human senses when it comes to ensuring products meet the most stringent quality tests. Now you can add engine production to that list.

In a world where product testing is increasingly carried out using high-tech devices, Ford has found that for certain tests, nothing beats a good set of ears to help ensure the all-new Focus RS hot hatch achieves optimum performance.

Highly trained production workers conduct an auditory test that confirms the perfect running of the 350PS 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, in advance of it being fitted to the completed Ford Focus RS cars.

“This team knows what a perfectly calibrated engine sounds like and they know the tiny sounds to listen for in case there is a problem,” said Gunnar Herrmann, vice president, Quality, Ford of Europe. “Think of it like a doctor who has the most advanced diagnostic technology but still uses a stethoscope to gather vital clues to a patient’s health.” 

Employees at Ford’s manufacturing facility in Valencia, Spain, are taught to identify defects using specially prepared “faulty” engines that highlight the sound that they need to listen for. After several months of training and coaching, team members are qualified to conduct the intensive one‑minute tests in one of 18 sound-proofed cells at the end of the production line.

Should the engineers hear any rattling or whistling sounds typically associated with issues, such as a blocked lubrication passage or a damaged gear tooth, the engine is removed so that further checks can be carried out, and the problem addressed. In this way the quality of the manufacturing process also can be continuously improved.

The 350PS version of Ford’s 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine fitted to the all-new Focus RS has been specially engineered to ensure Ford’s ultimate hot hatch can cover 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds and achieve a top speed of 165mph.

Further vehicles that benefit from the scrutiny of the engine listeners in Valencia include the Ford Focus ST, S-MAX and Mondeo.

“The experience of hearing thousands of engines allows us to sense straight away when something is not working perfectly,” said Juan Carlos Rosmari, quality technician, Valencia Engine Plant. “Each different engine type has its own unique sound, and from listening to them in the test cells we get to know their individual characters – and the tell-tale signs which indicate a problem.”

Between them, Ford’s team of engine listeners carries out the test on 2,000 engines per day at the Valencia plant. Preparing engines for testing provides a natural break between the listening sessions, so that the employees can maintain full concentration on the tests over a working day.

The personal touch also can be found in other Ford quality processes such as the master crafts people who scrutinise the fine detailing and stitching of the leather trim fitted to a Ford Vignale model, or the highly skilled artisans who sculpt by hand the complex 3D shapes of new vehicles in Ford’s clay modelling studios.

“The skills of Ford employees, supported by the latest technology, help us deliver high-quality vehicles which perform better, look better, and provide outstanding durability throughout their life,” Herrmann added.

Ford to showcase an expanded Vignale range, The new Kuga and some new performance cars at Geneva.

• Ford will reveal an expanded Vignale vehicle portfolio and customer experience and announce Ford Performance news at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show

• New Ford Kuga sport utility vehicle to make European motor show debut

• Ford of Europe Chairman and CEO Jim Farley, will host a news conference at 13.00 CET, March 1, on the Ford show stand

Ford will reveal new vehicles and customer services for its upscale Vignale line and a further expanded performance line-up at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

Ford will dedicate its show stand on March 1 to an extended Vignale product line-up that offers superior refinement, unique design and advanced technologies.

Ford of Europe Chairman and CEO Jim Farley will host a news conference at 13.00 CET, March 1, at the Ford stand, Hall 5, PalExpo, Geneva.

The Ford Vignale line-up will be joined on the Ford stand from March 2 by Ford Performance models, and the new Ford Kuga sport utility vehicle making its European motor show debut.

Gymkhana legend, Ken Block to showcase Ford's might Focus RS at Goodwood Festival of Speed.

One of the world’s most spectacular drivers, Ken Block, will give the all-new Ford Focus RS its UK debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed  during the June 25-28 event.

This year’s Festival of Speed theme is ‘Flat-Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge’ and few drivers hold this philosophy as close to their hearts as Block, whose amazing Gymkhana videos have won worldwide acclaim and achieved over 300 million views on YouTube.

The Monster Energy Athlete’s reputation has been forged with these wonderful displays of car control – his Gymkhana videos often being created in city-centre locations with buildings, bridges and other immovable objects often just millimetres from the action.

He will drive the new Focus RS, which has been developed by Ford Performance and is the 30^th Ford to carry the RS badge, up the iconic 1.16-mile Goodwood Hillclimb throughout the weekend.

Block will also bring his incredible ‘Hoonicorn’, a 1965 Ford Mustang ‘notchback’ that has been customised with four-wheel-drive, an 845bhp Ford V8 engine, bespoke suspension and tyres and bodywork inspired by rally and racing cars plus toys he owned as a child!

The Hoonicorn was used in Block’s most recent viral video, Gymkhana 7, which has gained more than 24 million views on YouTube since its release in November 2014.

Ford Motor Co, at the 85th International Geneva Motor Show 2015.

• Ford will reveal the all-new Focus RS and Ford GT at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show
• Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and president Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development, will host a news conference on March 3 at 09.30 UK time

Ford Motor Company will reveal the all-new Focus RS high performance hatchback for the first time at a motor show, and debut the all-new Ford GT supercar in Europe, at the 2015 Geneva Show.

Ford will also present its full Ford Performance line-up for Europe including the new Focus ST and Focus ST diesel, and Fiesta ST. In addition the new Ford Mustang Fastback and Convertible will be on view to showgoers.

Jim Farley, Ford Motor Company executive vice president and president Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development, will host a news conference at 09.30 UK time on the Ford stand in Hall 5.

The Ford Performance line-up will be joined on the Ford stand from March 4 by new sporty, dynamic and high-specification variants of the all-new Ford Edge, Kuga and EcoSport SUVs, all-new S-MAX sport activity vehicle and new Focus.

Ford shocks with All new Supercar dubbed the GT.

• All-new Ford GT supercar sets new standards for Ford innovation through performance with advances in light-weighting, aerodynamics and ultra-efficient EcoBoost^® engine
• Ford GT features the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever – a new twin-turbocharged Ford EcoBoost V6 producing more than 600 horsepower
• Ultra-high-performance supercar is Ford’s most extreme offering, infused with race-proven technology engineered to keep company with exotics when it goes into production in 2016

Ford today unveiled the all-new GT, an ultra-high-performance supercar that serves as a technology showcase for top EcoBoost^® performance, aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fibre construction.

The GT is one of more than 12 new Ford Performance vehicles coming by 2020. It joins Focus RS, F-150 Raptor, Shelby GT350 and Shelby GT350R in the growing Ford Performance lineup.

Beginning production late next year, the GT hits the road in select global markets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford GT race cars placing 1-2-3 at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“As we at Ford drive innovation into every part of our business, it’s worth remembering that our first innovation as a company was not in a laboratory, but on the racetrack,” said Mark Fields, Ford president and chief executive officer, referring to Henry Ford’s win of a 1901 car race that inspired financial backers to invest in his company. “We are passionate about innovation through performance and creating vehicles that make people’s hearts pound.”

The all-new GT supercar features rear-wheel drive, a mid-mounted engine, and a sleek, aerodynamic, two-door coupe body shell. It is propelled by the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever – a next-generation twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 producing more than 600 horsepower.

The GT makes extensive use of lightweight materials, including carbon fibre and aluminium – enabling outstanding acceleration and handling with improved efficiency.

Ford’s commitment to and capability in delivering technologies typically offered only in elite vehicles is evident in the GT. These include advanced active aerodynamics, such as a deployable rear spoiler, and a host of material and technology innovations.

“The GT is the ultimate execution of an enthusiast supercar,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development. “GT includes innovations and technologies that can be applied broadly across Ford’s future product portfolio – another proof point that Ford continues raising the performance bar while ultimately improving vehicles for all of our customers.”

Carbon fibre innovation

Few innovations provide a more wide-ranging performance and efficiency advantage than reducing weight. All factors of a vehicle’s capabilities – acceleration, handling, braking, safety, efficiency – can improve through the use of advanced, lighter materials.

The all-new GT features advanced lightweight composites, which will help serve Ford’s entire product lineup moving forward. With the broad application of structural carbon fibre elements, the GT will exhibit one of the best power-to-weight ratios of any production car.

Anchored by a carbon fibre passenger cell, the GT features aluminium front and rear subframes encapsulated in structural carbon fibre body panels. Carbon fibre is one of the world’s strongest materials for its mass – enabling an ultra-stiff foundation for chassis components, while creating a lighter overall package for increased dynamic performance and efficiency.

Most powerful production EcoBoost ever

Ford EcoBoost technology is available in every new Ford car, utility and light-duty pickup in North America beginning this year.

EcoBoost engines power a growing number of Ford performance models, including the new Mustang, just-announced F-150 Raptor, as well as Fiesta ST and Focus ST.

Based on the same race-proven engine architecture serving Ford’s IMSA Daytona Prototype endurance racing efforts, the next-generation twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 in the GT features a wide powerband with impressive time-to-torque characteristics.

The engine demonstrates remarkable efficiency – a key attribute of its endurance racing-derived powertrain, where exceptional performance combined with efficiency is a critical competitive advantage.

Ford’s twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 raced to three wins in its first season of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014, including a win in the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring, along with seven podiums over more than 15,000 endurance racing miles.

The GT features an all-new, port/direct dual fuel-injection setup to improve engine response, plus a low-friction roller-finger-follower valvetrain. The twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 will be paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transaxle for near-instantaneous gear changes and exceptional driver control.

Aero innovation gets active

Aerodynamic efficiency is at the heart of the GT design, actively reducing drag while aiding downforce and stability.

From its optimum tear-drop shape to its aircraft-inspired fuselage and visibility-enhancing curved windshield, every slope and shape is designed to minimise drag and optimise downforce.

Although each surface on the GT is functionally crafted to manage airflow, it also features fully active aerodynamic components to improve braking, handling and stability.

An active rear spoiler is keyed to both speed and driver input, reactively deploying and adjusting its height and/or pitch angle depending on conditions.

Designed for purpose

While it shares a legacy with classic Ford racing and performance cars, GT is a fully contemporary and functional shape that communicates modernity and pure beauty.

The state-of-the-art chassis is suspended by an active racing-style torsion bar and pushrod suspension, with adjustable ride height. The 20-in wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 tyres featuring a unique compound and structure designed specifically for the Ford GT. Multi-spoke wheels encircle carbon-ceramic brake discs at all four corners.

The narrow-profile canopy reduces frontal area and caps a purposeful interior that provides state-of-the-art technology to ensure control, comfort and safety. The two-seat cockpit is accessed by upward-swinging doors, and features driver and passenger seats integrated directly into the carbon fibre passenger cell.

This configuration significantly reduces seating hardware and weight, and provides a consistent and direct sensory connection to the chassis. The fixed seating is combined with adjustable pedals and steering column to accommodate a very wide range of driver statures.

An F1-style steering wheel integrates all necessary driver controls, creating a stalkless steering column that allows uncluttered access to the transmission paddle-shift controls. A fully digital and configurable instrument cluster provides a wealth of driver-focused data. The display is configurable for multiple driving environments and different driving modes.

“While we hope enthusiasts rejoice about this all-new GT, all Ford customers will benefit from the ultimate performance Ford and its new-generation innovations,” said Nair.