AUTO EXPRESS AWARDS - Skoda takes three titles this year, Best Hatch, Best Estate and Best City Car.

• Superb scoops Best Family Car and Best Estate titles
• Citigo named Best City Car for the fifth year in succession
• ŠKODA winners praised for their outstanding value for money 

ŠKODA has continued its winning streak at the Auto Express Awards by clinching another trio of titles. The Citigo, Superb Hatch and Superb Estate were all named as the best in their sector at the 2016 awards ceremony in London.

The Superb took two awards - Best Family Car for the hatch version and Best Estate car. While the hatch repeated its success of 2015, locking out the competition for the second year in a row, the Estate took its firstAuto Express New Car Award, further highlighting its remarkable all-round ability.

Commenting on the Superb’s awards, Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express said: “Whether as a hatch or estate, the Superb offers a compelling blend of unbeatable practicality, first-rate quality and the tremendous value for money we've come to expect from ŠKODA. The fact that it now looks really sharp and drives so impressively is the icing on the cake.”

Completing ŠKODA’s triple awards win was the Citigo, which won the City Car category for the fifth year in succession – an Auto Express New Car Awards record for the category. Having first triumphed in 2012, when it was also named overall Car of the Year, the Citigo has proved unbeatable in this key market sector.

“The Citigo won because it continues to set the pace in the city car class. It rivals models from the sector above for space, feels mature and composed from behind the wheel and on the right road delivers plenty of fun, too,“ said Steve Fowler. “It's a tribute to how well thought out this car is that five years after launch it's still the best city car on sale.“

Duncan Movassaghi, Brand Director of ŠKODA UK, added: “We’re delighted to receive these key awards for the Citigo and Superb. They highlight the incredible strength and depth of the ŠKODA range, and showcase the Brand’s commitment to delivering brilliantly engineered cars with great design and exceptional value for money.”

The Citigo range starts from £8,275 OTR and includes the new Colour Edition models priced from £9,990 OTR. The new Superb line-up features hatch and estate variants, along with optional four-wheel drive and power output ranging from 110PS to 280PS. Prices for the Superb range start from £19,060 OTR.

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.