The Peugeot 3008 takes the main Car of the year title at the DieselCar Top 50 awards.

• ‘Car of the Year’ 2017 awarded to PEUGEOT’s dynamic new SUV
• All-New PEUGEOT 3008 SUV also awarded ‘Best Medium SUV’ by Diesel Car
• UK awards follow the 2017 ‘European Car of the Year’ recognition and add to growing honours

The celebrations that have surrounded the arrival of the All-New PEUGEOT 3008 SUV continued at this year’s Diesel Car Top 50 Awards, with two major honours bestowed upon the ground-breaking new model.

The All-New PEUGEOT 3008 SUV was acclaimed as the overall ‘Car of the Year’ in the Diesel Car Top 50, with a second award being earned in its class as the ‘Best Medium SUV’.

On behalf of the judging panel at Diesel Car, Editor Ian Robertson commented: “PEUGEOT has transformed the 3008 into a fully-fledged SUV and created a real winner in the process… its engines are refined and economical, while its suspension is ideally set up to smooth out British roads. It’s a winner in every respect and we are proud to declare it number one in this year’s Top 50 awards.”

PEUGEOT UK Managing Director, David Peel, added: “PEUGEOT has long been synonymous with diesel engines that set the bar for efficiency and sophistication. The 3008 SUV remains true to this reputation with a range of powertrains that offer the blend of performance, economy and driving enjoyment that today’s motorist demands.

“The car’s many other refinements – notably its class-leading interior quality and technology - combine to make it a highly competitive package. The acclaim that has been bestowed upon the All-New 3008 SUV is a fantastic achievement in what is a new segment for us, and we are genuinely thrilled to receive this recognition from the industry experts.”

The All-New PEUGEOT 3008 SUV can be configured and ordered online from start to finish using PEUGEOT’s Order Online facility.

Business Van Manager - The Renault Kangoo E.V. takes Best Green Van at the ceremony.

• Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. awarded Best Green Van by Business Van Manager
• Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. praised for efficiency
• The van with 106 miles of range (NEDC) available from £13,298.48 (inc. PiVG and excl. battery hire and VAT)

The 100 per cent electric Renault Kangoo Van Z.E. has proved its eco-credentials once more after picking up Best Green Van at the Business Van Manager Awards in London, today.

Europe’s best-selling electric van and former International Van of the Year impressed judges thanks to its green credentials. 

The Kangoo Van Z.E., first launched in 2011, is powered by a 44kW electric motor and 22kWh lithium-ion battery and four versions are available: Kangoo Van Z.E., Kangoo Van Maxi Z.E. (2 seats), Kangoo Van Z.E. Maxi Crew Van (5 seats) and Kangoo Maxi Crew Van CAB Z.E (5 seats with windows). It has a range of 106 miles (NEDC).

Thanks to its zero tailpipe emissions, a payload of 650kg and load capacity of up to 4.6m³, the Kangoo Van Z.E. is ideal for urban deliveries.  

Ralph Morton, Editorial Director, Business Van, said: “Look around London and you’ll notice the delivery van landscape is changing – and it’s being changed by this van, winner of our green award, the Kangoo Z.E. As the clouds gather over urban diesel emissions, Renault has all the answers. The zero emission Kangoo Z.E is a clear - and clean - winner of our green award.”

Paul Flanagan, Managing Director, Groupe Renault UK, said: “The Kangoo Van Z.E. is the perfect vehicle for many tradesmen, as proven by this award by Business Van. It is more than capable not just in cities, but also now for further travelling. With a variety of versions and trim levels, the Kangoo Van Z.E. caters for all needs and costs a matter of pence to charge so it’s frugal, too.”

Kangoo Van Z.E is Europe’s best-selling electric van, with a basic price of £13,298.48 (inc. PiVG and excl. battery hire and VAT). It carries over the same user-friendly functional features as the internal combustion-engined version and offers a silent, versatile driving experience with maximum torque available from start-up and seamless acceleration thanks to the absence of gear changes.

In January, the Kangoo Van Z.E. was unveiled with an uprated range of 168 miles NEDC – boosting its current range by over 60 per cent.

The BAC MONO takes another award, this one from the BBC TopGear magazine.

• Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) finds itself on the winner’s podium once again, with its one-of-a-kind Mono scooping TopGear’s Best for Selfish Sundays Award in the magazine’s Best Cars in the World issue
• The Best for Selfish Sundays Award celebrates a car that is purely for the driver’s enjoyment for days on the open road
• BAC’s Mono is the world’s first and only single-seater road-legal supercar that aims to provide the most authentic driving experience
• BAC recently hit headlines after winning two Northern Automotive Alliance (NAA) Awards for International Trade and Logistics Excellence

Briggs Automotive Company (BAC) has won yet another coveted award, as TopGear crowned the Mono supercar Best for Selfish Sundays in the magazine’s Best Cars in the World issue.

TopGear defines the Best for Selfish Sunday Award winner as a car that is all about the driver – one that any person can hop behind the wheel of and thoroughly enjoy out on the open road without another care in the world.

BAC’s one-of-a-kind Mono fits TopGear’s bill perfectly. The world’s only road-legal single-seater supercar is built to be the ultimate driver’s car – from the central seating position to the use of innovative lightweight materials, the Mono is forever tweaked to be a top performer.

Experiencing the accessible nature of the Mono’s power and poise recalibrates the senses, while BAC strives to ensure it suits drivers of all skills and from all walks of life on both the road and track.

TopGear recognised these characteristics to award the Mono the Best for Selfish Sundays Award, saying “there’s an unexpected balance to this car that makes it incredibly forgiving to drive – even in the wet”.

BAC is no stranger to winning prestigious awards and recently came away from the 2016 Northern Automotive Alliance Awards with the International Trade and Logistics Excellence trophies.

Adding TopGear’s coveted award to its CV shows how well rounded BAC is as an industry, displaying brilliance both on and off the road.

In fact, the Mono has won some major TopGear awards over the years, including The Stig’s Car of the Year in 2011 – two years before it set the second fastest-ever Power Lap time around the BBC show’s circuit.

It went one better while under the control of evo magazine recently, setting the fastest lap of any car tested by the magazine at the Anglesey Coastal Circuit. The Mono saw off the likes of the track-only, slick-shod McLaren P1 GTR, the Porsche 918 and the Ferrari 488 GTB to top the leaderboard.

Neill Briggs, BAC Co-Founder and Director of Product Development, said: “We are truly honoured and delighted to receive the Best for Selfish Sundays Award from TopGear magazine. The Mono has achieved success all over the globe, and this award is further evidence of it being the ultimate driver’s car.

“The Mono is all about driving enjoyment no matter one’s level of ability. From casual Sunday drives to setting rapid lap times on track, it’s a one-of-a-kind supercar that anyone can fall in love with. We build the Mono to suit every driver and TopGear’s award is testament to the hard work and attention to detail that our talented team put in to every single model.”

The Volvo XC90 T8 Plug in hybrid has been awarded the green car of the year award.

• XC90 T8 plug-in hybrid crowned Green Car of the Year at the Professional Driver Car of the Year Awards
• Honoured for its luxuriousness, affordable running costs and low CO₂ emissions
• Volvo’s comprehensive chauffeur programme also praised

The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription has been voted Green Car of the Year at the 2016 Professional Driver Car of the Year Awards.

The awards celebrate the best in the private hire, chauffeur and taxi industry, and the Green Car of the Year category was open to any vehicle with CO₂ emissions of 70 g/km or below. 

The XC90 T8 sits comfortably below that figure, with CO₂ emissions of just 49 g/km, helped by its innovative petrol-electric plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

That’s not the T8’s only impressive figure. It can be driven for up to 27 miles in zero-emission, virtually silent electric-only mode, and its official combined fuel economy figure is 134.5 mpg. 

The XC90 T8 has space for seven adults in its luxurious interior, while its boot provides an impressive 967 litres of luggage space when the two rearmost seats are folded down.

Drivers and passengers will certainly appreciate the XC90 T8 Inscription’s beautiful cabin. Nappa soft leather upholstery, natural wood inlays and leather door tops are all standard, as are rear footwell and side step illumination, and integrated sun curtains in the rear doors. Every XC90 T8 also comes with a panoramic glass sunroof and four-zone climate control.

Class-leading connectivity comes as standard, too. The ground-breaking Volvo On Call app allows you to control numerous functions of the car from your mobile device, including the ability to heat or cool the cabin so it’s at the perfect temperature when you and your passengers get in the car. The innovative touch screen control system offers pinch and zoom functionality, and you can even use it while wearing gloves. You can also turn the car into a WiFi hotspot using the increased signal strength of the car’s antenna, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are available.

As you’d expect from a Volvo, safety is paramount. Every XC90 comes with automatic emergency braking, which works day or night, along with pedestrian, cyclist and large animal detection. There are also advanced safety aids to prevent the car from inadvertently leaving the road, while the standard Pilot Assist semi-autonomous drive system takes the strain out of long motorway journeys by helping to regulate the car’s speed, distance from any vehicle in front, and position in its lane.

Volvo’s bespoke chauffeur programme also won praise from the judges. This includes a three-year, 100,000-mile warranty, a like-for-like replacement vehicle, direct aftersales support and service plan options. Contract hire offers of up to 50,000 miles a year are available, too.

Commenting on the award, Mark Bursa, the editor of Professional Driver, said: “The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine offers a great combination of luxury, low running costs and great manufacturer support through a benchmark chauffeur programme.”

Selwyn Cooper, Head of Business Sales for Volvo Car UK, said: “The XC90 T8 is already proving a huge hit with Volvo buyers, and for it to win this award is an honour, especially because it is chosen by leading chauffeur and private hire professionals. The XC90 T8’s blend of space, luxury, tax-efficiency, refinement and safety makes it the perfect car to drive or be driven in.”

BBC TopGear Magazine awards the EWB Bentley Mulsanne best car for being driven in.

• Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase wins award from Top Gear magazine
• 250 mm extension entirely to the benefit of rear passenger legroom
• Luxury features create first-class air-travel experience for the road

The Bentley Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase has been named ‘Best Car for Being Driven In’ by Top Gear magazine.

Featured in the global magazine franchise’s ‘Best Cars in the World’ issue, the pinnacle Mulsanne model outshone all other limousines to be named the best automotive passenger experience.

Designed for customers with a preference for being driven, the Bentley Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase offers a first-class air-travel experience for the road, and was praised for its suite of luxury appointments.

The 250 mm extension of the Mulsanne’s wheelbase is entirely to the benefit of rear-seat passenger legroom. To make the best use of the additional rear legroom, Bentley has developed airline-style electronic leg rests which are integrated into the bases of the two rear seats. These extend outward and pivot, affording rear-seat passengers the luxury of choice between upright, relaxed and reclined seating positions.

A beautifully appointed console separates the two rear seats in the Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase. Ornate and functional, the console is appointed in the finest handcrafted veneer, metal, glass and leather and houses practical features such as USB ports, pen holders, cup holders and a glass-covered stowage area.

For those passengers who wish to work on the move, both rear seats can also be specified with a deployable, folding table. For privacy, electric curtains at the rear are standard fitment and can be tailored with either a black or champagne coloured interior lining.

Rear-seat passengers also benefit from a large-format sunroof over the rear cabin. Controlled by the passengers or the driver, the tilting and sliding glass panel (with Alcantara sun blind) allows natural light to flood into the Mulsanne’s beautifully appointed cabin and clearly reinforces the Extended Wheelbase’s focus on the rearward passenger.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter wins the FN50 Award for the second successive year and three times since 2011.

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter has once again received the coveted FN50 award for the most reliable van, collecting the award for the second consecutive year, and the third year in total since 2011 (2011, 2015 and 2016).

The top-place ranking was announced at the annual FN50 event hosted at the Park Plaza in Westminster Bridge last night, attended by over 900 industry professionals.

The FN50 is an independent market perspective audit ranking the largest 50 leasing companies across the UK, carried out in August and September of 2016.

Steve Bridge, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK, said: “Sprinter keeps on adding to its awards haul, even though it is far from the newest van on the block. In fact, in Europe it has defined an entire class of van – known as the Sprinter segment!

“The FN50 award for most reliable van proves that the tough, durable, dependable workhorse which is a firm favourite for fleets, actually does what it says it’s going to do.

“And if our vans do breakdown, we offer MobiloVan free of charge to our customers, which enables UK and Europe -wide free roadside assistance by Mercedes-Benz trained technicians carrying Mercedes-Benz Genuine Parts, to get the vehicle back on the road as quickly as possible.”

Stephen Briers, Editor-in-Chief, Fleet News, added: “Our reliability survey asks FN50 companies to rank their light commercial vehicles in order of best performing in terms of breakdowns and warranty claims. The clear winner, for the second-year in a row, was the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. The Sprinter is also the reigning Commercial Fleet commercial vehicle of the year, proving it really is the class act among large panel vans.”

USA - INFINITI today announced that its Q50 sports saloon has been selected as a winner of Wards 10 Best User Experiences.

INFINITI today announced that its Q50 sports saloon has been selected as a winner of Wards 10 Best User Experiences. In its inaugural year, the Wards 10 Best User Experiences (UX) awards are meant to highlight exceptionally advanced, intuitive and forward-thinking vehicle systems and interfaces designed to minimise distractions, prevent accidents and improve safety.

“It is a great honour to accept this award on behalf of INFINITI and all of the tireless work and care that has gone into developing the technologies featured in the Q50 sports sedan,” said Randy Parker, vice president INFINITI Americas. “We strive to push the envelope of not only vehicle technology, but also consumer tech integration in our products, and it is extremely rewarding to have this recognised not only by INFINITI owners, but also by independent industry experts.”

For its inaugural 10 Best UX awards, WardsAuto developed its own judging criteria, evaluating important user features such as how easily a vehicle’s systems connect with a smartphone, how intuitive controls are, the effectiveness of advanced driver assistance technologies and how the surface materials of interior components play into the user experience. Navigation system interfaces, smartphone app integration, streaming services for traffic, weather and music, system customization and overall value to the consumer were also analysed as key components of the awards.

The INFINITI Q50 sports saloon was chosen by WardsAuto for its unique blend of driver assist and safety systems, advanced in-dash user interfaces and systems and INFINITI InTouch™ telematics. Specific safety and driver assist features highlighted include Cross Traffic Alert, Predictive Forward Collision Warning, and Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection.

The INFINITI InTouch™ telematics system is also praised as a forward-thinking example of in-car connectivity. Unlike conventional interfaces, the Q50 has not one but two touch-capacitive colour screens (LCD/VGA 8-inch upper and 7-inch lower), with intuitive hand-gesture screen operation that makes changing settings simple.

Along with the large dual screens, the INFINITI InTouch™ system is designed to effortlessly synchronise car and driver. Content and functions directed to the upper screen include the most frequently used applications, such as navigation maps while other content is directed to the lower display screen for easy access.

WardsAuto will present its 10 Best UX awards on October 4, at a ceremony taking place at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich.