The Irish Car Of The Year goes to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, with the C-Class Coupe taking a segment honour.

The Irish Car of the Year Awards in association with Continental tyres took place last night, October 27th, at the Powerscourt Hotel, Enniskerry.

Journalists from Print, online and broadcasting hosted a gala black-tie event attended by Ireland’s leading car brands, importers, distributors & other motoring dignitaries.

Mercedes-Benz took the top award with their E-Class and also a category win with the C-Class Coupé, crowned Irish Medium Car of the Year 2017.

ICOTY Committee member Michael Sheridan “E Class has set the bar to new heights.”

ICOTY Committee member John Galvin “We’ve had 40 years of Irish Car of the Year and the E-Class is an exceptional winner.”

Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres said about the awards “Continental is delighted to be associated with Irish Car of the Year, an event that continues to be the highlight of the motoring year.”

Stephen Byrne, Chief Executive, Mercedes-Benz in Ireland, said: “We are honoured to win the Irish Car of the Year 2017 award. This accolade bestowed by Irish motoring journalists is a recognition of the advanced technology and features to be found in the new generation E-Class.”

The category winners:

• Suzuki Baleno - Irish Small Car of the Year 2017
• Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé - Irish Medium Car of the Year 2017
• Mercedes-Benz E-Class - Irish Large Car of the Year 2017
• Peugeot 2008 - Irish Small SUV of the Year 2017
• Hyundai Tucson - Irish Medium SUV of the Year 2017
• Ford Edge - Irish Large SUV of the Year 2017
• Ford Mustang - Irish Performance/Sports Car of the Year 2017

The category winners were all in the running for the top honour with the judging panel of close to 30 journalists electing E-Class by a landslide margin.

The Irish Car of the Year committee

Bob Flavin, John Galvin, Michael Moroney and Michael Sheridan

USA - Kia K900 Flagship Luxury Sedan wins International Car Of The Year.

K900 Recognized for Distinctive Design, Advanced Technology and Unmatched Luxury

• 2015 K900 luxury sedan earns top honors from Road & Travel Magazine International Car of the Year (ICOTY) jury

• Kia claims unprecedented third consecutive ICOTY victory with new flagship sedan

In conjunction with the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, Road & Travel Magazine (RTM) has named the 2015 Kia K900 as its International Car of the Year. 

The K900’s stunning design combined with luxurious amenities, impressive performance and great value propelled the Kia brand to an unprecedented third consecutive win of the prestigious ICOTY award.  The ICOTY jurors honored Kia’s Cadenza premium sedan last year and the best-selling Optima midsize sedan in 2012.

“Since arriving in the U.S. market 20 years ago, Kia has repeatedly defied conventional industry thinking, and the K900 is our boldest move yet, making a significant leap forward for the brand and bringing new and affluent customers into our retail showrooms,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA. 

“To win the prestigious ICOTY award three years running is a clear indication that our products consistently offer a world-class balance of design, amenities, luxury and value for today’s discerning car buyers.”

This year marks a new format for RTM’s annual “Of the Year” award.  Previously, one award for car of the year and one for truck of the year were announced.  

Beginning in 2014, RTM is honoring a single annual winner, adding greater significance to the K900’s victory amidst some very tough competition from Hyundai, BMW and Mazda.  In addition to product attributes such as style, comfort and performance, the award also considers how well the brand connects emotionally with the consumer through its marketing efforts.  

The winner is chosen by the ICOTY jury, which consists of nationally renowned automotive journalists from respected publications such as Consumer Guide^® Automotive, MSN Autos, New Car News Syndicate and RTM.

“Three years in a row for the same brand is a first for RTM, and it says a lot about Kia's growth and its continuous introductions of exceptional new vehicles,” said Courtney Caldwell, editor-in-chief of Road & Travel Magazine. 

“Not only is the car a beautiful piece of art inside and out, but Kia’s advertising agencies did a remarkable job of getting it into the hearts and minds of luxury sedan shoppers before it even hit the road. Overall, the car is stunning and affordable, making upscale style and performance attainable to mid-America. We applaud Kia's rapid rise from underdog to unbelievable!”