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.

USA - Fiat 124 Spider also named finalist for “Best of 2017” Cars.com award.

• Fiat 124 Spider also named finalist for “Best of 2017” Cars.com award
• Experts from Cars.com determine the “Best of 2017” finalists by looking at quality, innovation and value in each nominee
• The all-new Spider delivers the ultimate Italian roadster experience with driving excitement, technology and safety combined with iconic Italian design

Experts at Cars.com consider the all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider best in its segment, naming it the “Best New Convertible” of 2017. With the honor, the Spider is nominated for the “Best of 2017” Cars.com award.

The 2017 Best of Awards is the annual show Cars.com hosts in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show. This year’s categories include Best of 2017, Best Pickup Truck of 2017, Eco-Friendly Car of the Year, Family Car of the Year, Luxury Car of the Year and Play Car of the Year. 

Each car represented on the list excels in three key criteria; quality, innovation and value. All vehicles are 2017 models and Best of 2017 nominees must be all-new or fully redesigned.

According to Cars.com, “Look at this thing: It’s pretty. Next, drop the top, rev the engine, listen to the sweet 1.4-liter engine, find a twisty road and see if your cares disappear with the wind. We’re betting they will, and that’s why the Fiat 124 Spider is our Best New Convertible of 2017.”

The all-new 2017 Fiat 124 Spider brings classic Italian styling and proven performance to a new generation of buyers. Paying homage to the original 124 Spider, the all-new Spider delivers the ultimate Italian roadster experience with driving excitement, technology and safety combined with iconic design.

The roadster comes standard with the proven 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo four-cylinder engine, the engine’s first application in a rear-wheel-drive vehicle. The engine delivers 160 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque on Classica and Lusso, 164 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque on Abarth, and is available with a six-speed manual transmission (26 mpg city/35 mpg highway) or a six-speed automatic transmission (25 mpg city/36 mpg highway).

The Fiat 124 Spider has a double-wishbone front suspension and rear multi-link suspension with stabilizer bars, and tuned electric-power steering system for enhanced handling and fuel efficiency. Available safety features include Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection and ParkView rear backup camera. Available technology and convenience features include passive entry with keyless go, Bluetooth connectivity, heated seats, and FIAT Connect with access to Pandora, Stitcher and Aha apps.

SWEDEN - The Swedish police force will be taking delivery of their new V90 Volvo's

The Swedish police will take delivery of its first V90 police cars early next year, after the car recently achieved the highest rating ever in the Swedish police’s highly demanding driving test.

The demands on emergency vehicles are higher than on normal road cars. On top of that, unlike in many other countries, in Sweden the police car is judged as a workplace. This means any car has to meet strict demands in areas such as performance, comfort, quality and ergonomics in order to qualify as a police car.

The Swedish police car test focuses on five areas: a brake test, an obstacle course, evasive action tests with and without braking, and high-speed emergency driving.

The overall score for the V90 was 9.2 out of 10, the highest rating ever achieved by any car in this demanding test.

The final test protocol on the V90 prepared by Swedish police test drivers concludes that “overall, it is difficult to find any faults at all. Chassis, steering, suspension, traction control and powertrain all show exemplary performance. Quick lane changes at high speeds feel almost deceptively easy, the car does what it is told to do and shakes off lateral forces without any protest.”

While the Swedish police will be the first to start using the V90, Volvo Cars sells its police cars in other countries as well. Other police forces that in recent years have used Volvos include Norway, Italy, the UK and the Netherlands. The V90, too, will be made available to any interested police forces around the globe.

With the V90 police car, Volvo takes the highly refined driving experience of the award-winning standard V90 to the next level. To transform the premium estate into a suitable emergency vehicle, the Volvo Car Special Products department further develops the car to meet the specific demands of police forces.

For instance, the chassis is made stronger and more dynamic, the brakes and suspension are improved, and the car is fully equipped with all necessary tools and communication equipment. It takes about a week to transform a standard V90 into a police car at Volvo Cars’ special manufacturing facility in Torslanda, Sweden.

Volvo Cars has a long history in providing police cars: as far back as 1929, Swedish police fought crime from behind the wheel of a Volvo. In the decades that followed, classic Volvos such as the Amazon and the 144 also served in police uniform. More recently, the XC70 and V70 estates have been used by police forces. The XC70, too, was the best police car ever tested by Swedish police at the time of its introduction.

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.”

BMW concludes 2015 as one of it;s most successful years for awards, prizes and distinctions.

2015 was a highly successful year for the BMW Group and this is confirmed by overwhelming worldwide acknowledgement. 

This year BMW vehicles won numerous national and international distinctions in categories as varied as innovation, design, sporty flair, quality, sustainability and intelligent vehicle connectivity. 

The prize-winners in the various categories were chosen by juries made up of automobile journalists, readers of car magazines, international automobile experts and market researchers.

Outstanding international recognition.

Four top ratings in the renowned "International Engine of the Year Award" underscore the BMW Group's engine expertise. A specialist jury of 65 automobile journalists from 31 countries voted the BMW TwinPower Turbo 3-cylinder in the BMW i8 as the class winner. A second class victory went to the integrated drive system of the BMW i8, and this hybrid drive also won the overall prize. The M TwinPower Turbo in-line 6-cylinder petrol engine in the BMW M3 Sedan and the BMW M4 Coupé also received the award in the 2.5 to 3.0-litre category for the fifth time.

The BMW i8 was voted "World Green Car of the Year" as well as receiving the "Paul Pietsch Prize" awarded by the automobile magazine "auto, motor und sport" for the most innovative technology concept. The BMW i8 was also named "UK Car of the Year" and was voted "most environment-friendly luxury car" by "The Washington Auto Show".

The BMW i3 likewise gained international recognition. In China, the successful electric car was pronounced best compact car as part of the "Best Cars 2015" awards, as well as being voted "Car of the Year" in Australia. In addition, the BMW i3 won the "Company Car of the Year" award presented jointly by the magazine "Firmenauto" and DEKRA.

The new BMW 7Series -more than 20 awards in China alone.

The new BMW 7 Series attracted the most positive response worldwide. In China alone the new BMW 7 Series won more than twenty prizes. These include the "Technology Innovation Award" presented by the renowned "China Business Journal" and "Luxury Car of the Year" awarded by the influential daily newspaper "The Beijing News". In the USA the new BMW 7 Series received the 2015 "Best of What's New" award in the automobile category from the magazine "Popular Science" And in Germany the new BMW 7 Series also won the 2015 "Golden Steering Wheel" award presented by "Auto Bild" and "Bild am Sonntag" in the luxury performance category –just as the BMW X1 and the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer did in their respective categories.

The BMW Group's innovation leadership was also confirmed by 550 body construction experts from 24 countries, who gave the BMW 7 Series the "EuroCarBody Award 2015" for its pioneering body structure with Carbon Core.

Outstanding honors for BMW design.

The International Forum Design "iF design awards" are among the very highest distinctions for achievements in design. This year the BMW Group won a total of 13 of the highly coveted "iF design awards 2015".The unique character of BMW design also impressed readers of the car magazine "Auto Zeitung": here the elegant and sporty BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé won the "Design Trophy" in the categories "Sedans/Coupés/Vans". In the compact class, it was the styling of the BMW 2 Series Convertible that received the highest distinction. And as the most outstanding design innovation of 2015, the new BMW 1 Series won the "autonis 2015" award as part of the readers' vote held by the car magazine "auto motor und sport". Meanwhile in the "Concept Cars" category of the "Auto Bild Sportscars" readers' vote, a clear majority went to the BMW 3.0 CSL Homage, which was created by the BMW Design Team in recognition of the classic BMW coupé icons of the 1970s.

Driving fun with the power to thrill.

Sheer driving pleasure is the top priority for readers of sports car magazines -and it is the sporty BMW models that best embody this. This was certainly the opinion expressed by readers of "Auto Bild Sportscars". In the "Serial Production Coupés" category, the BMW M4 GTS was voted "Sports Car of the Year 2015".

Its 500 hp 3-litre 6-cylinderpetrol engine with M TwinPower Turbo Technology is the first serial-production car to be fitted with innovative water injection (combined fuel consumption: 8.5 l/100 km; combined CO2emissions: 199 g/km)*.

The result of the readers' vote held by the magazine "sport auto" likewise confirms the sporty aspirations of BMW: in as many as four categories BMW models were placed at the top of the rostrum. For the third time in succession, the BMW 335i received the "Sport Auto Award" in the class of sedans up to EUR 50,000. And for the second time in a row the BMW M3 finished first in the category of sedans/estate cars up to EUR 100,000. The same was true of the BMW M135i in the compact class and the BMW M235i in the ranking for coupés up to EUR 50,000.

Recognition of pioneering role in the area of car connectivity.

42,520 readers of the automobile magazine "auto motor und sport" and the computer magazine "CHIP" cast their votes for the "Car Connectivity Award 2015": in doing so they confirmed the BMW Group's pioneering role in the networking of driver, vehicle and environment. The BMW i8 was the outright winner of the "Connected Car 2025" award, attracting 30.3 percent of the votes. The magazine's knowledgeable readers were impressed with the car's extensive range of driver assistance systems, services and apps. Additionally, 56 percent of participants regard BMW as the brand with the best car connectivity.

Readers of the automobile magazines "Auto Bild" and "Computer Bild" voted on which manufactures offer the best innovations relating to automobile connectivity, for which the winners receive the "Connected Car Awards". The new BMW 7 Series was voted "Connected Car of the Year". In addition to its optimum connectivity, the gesture control function and "remote-control parking" were two particularly impressive features which the new BMW 7 Series is the only car in the world to offer. For the "remote-control parking" function, BMW also received the "Connected Car Award" in the category "Assistance Systems -Comfort". BMW also impressed readers most in the category "Assistance Systems -Safety", being honored with the "Connected Car Award" for the "Driving Assistant Plus" system available in the BMW 7 Series, BMW 5 Series and BMW i3.

The "GreenTec Award" -one of the biggest and most important European distinctions for environment-friendly technology -went to the intermodal route planner developed for the BMW i models. The system incorporates other means of transport in navigation guidance where this means that the destination can be reached more quickly and efficiently.

The BMW Group also received the United Nations "Momentum for Change Award" for its innovative fast-charging network to cater for electrically powered vehicles.

Confirmation of sustainability and quality. The car magazine "Auto Bild" determines the "ValueMaster" based on forecasts made by the German market analysis institute Schwacke relating to the resale value of vehicles. In the category of electric cars, the BMW i3 received the "Value Master 2015" award due to having the highest resale value. For the third time in succession, a BMW 3 Series model clinched this title in the hotly competed category of mid-range cars -this year it was the BMW 325d Touring. There was even a double victory in the compact SUV category: the BMW X3 xDrive35d was the winner, very slightly ahead of the BMW X4 xDrive30d.

With its premium quality, reliability and top-class ergonomics, BMW also did well in the "Initial Quality Study 2015", a survey of 84,000 North American new car buyers conducted by J. D. Power and Associates. The winner in the segment of small premium cars this year was the BMW 2 Series. The BMW 4 Series won in the class of compact premium cars, and first in the category of mid-size premium cars was the BMW 5 Series. J.D. Power and Associates also assess the production quality of automobile plants. The "Platinum Plant Quality Award 2015" for the best plant in the world went to BMW Plant Rosslyn in South Africa. BMW Plant Dingolfing came second in the Europe/Africa region, making it the best automobile plant in Europe.

* The fuel consumption figures were calculated based on the ECE test cycle, dependent on tyre format.

Here is a summary of the main awards won by BMW in 2015:

Distinction conferred by the United Nations:

"Momentum Change Award" for establishing the world's largest fast-charging network for electric cars.

Distinctions conferred by World Car Awards:

World Green Car for the BMW i8

Engine of the Year for the Turbo 3-cylinder petrol engine in the BMW i8

Engine of the Year for the drivetrain of the BMW i8

Engine of the Year overall award for the BMW i8

Engine of the Year for the BMW 3-litre in-line 6-cylinder petrol engine

Distinction conferred by GreenTec Awards:

"GreenTec Award 2015":

BMW i for multimodal route planner in the Automobility category

Distinction conferred by "EuroCarBody":

"EuroCarBodyAward 2015":

BMW 7 Series for innovative body construction

Distinctions conferred by "auto motor und sport":

"Best Cars":

BMW 5 Series in the Upper Mid-Range category

"Paul Pietsch Prize":

BMW i8 as the most innovative technology concept "autonis":

BMW 1 Series as the best design innovation in the compact class

Distinction conferred by "auto motor und sport" and "CHIP":

"Connected Car 2015":

BMW i8 for the best vehicle connectivity

Distinctions conferred by "Auto Zeitung":

"Auto Trophy":

BMW 5 Series in the Upper Mid-Range category

"Design Trophy":

BMW 2 Series Convertible in the Compact Class category

BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé in the Sedans/Coupés/Vans category

Distinctions conferred by "Bild am Sonntag" / "Auto Bild":

"Golden Steering Wheel":

BMW X1 in the Mid-Range SUV category

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category

BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer in the Vans category

Distinctions conferred by "Auto Bild" / "Computer Bild":

"Connected Car Award":

BMW 7 Series as the "Connected Car of the Year"

BMW in the "Assistance Systems - Safety" category

BMW in the "Assistance Systems - Comfort" category

Distinction conferred by "Auto Bild Allrad":

"All-Wheel Car of the Year":

BMW i8 in the All-Wheel Hybrid category

Distinctions conferred by "Auto Bild Sportscars":

"Sports Cars of the Year":

BMW M4GTS in the Serial Production Coupés category

BMW 3.0 CSL Homage in the Concept Cars category

Distinctions conferred by "Auto Bild" /Schwacke:

"Value Master 2015":

BMW i3 in the Electric Vehicles category

BMW 325d Touring in the Mid-Range category

BMW X3 xDrive35d in the Compact SUVs category

Distinctions conferred by "sport auto":

"Sport auto Award 2015":

BMW M135i in the Compact Cars category

BMW M235i in the category Coupés up to EUR 50,000

BMW 335i in the category Sedans/Estate Cars up to EUR 50,000

BMW M3 in the category Sedans/Estate Cars up to EUR 100,000

Distinction conferred by "Motor Klassik":

"Motor Klassik Awards 2015":

BMW 4 Series Coupé in the Classic of the Future (Mid-Range) category

Distinctions conferred by International Forum Design:

"iF Design Awards" 2015:

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé, BMW M4 Coupé, BMW X6 and BMW i8 – all in the category "Product – Automobiles, Vehicles, Bikes"

Distinctions conferred by "Firmenauto" / DEKRA:

"Company Car of the Year":

BMW i3 REX in the Small Cars category

BMW 118d in the Compact Class category 

Distinction conferred by DEKRA: 

"Used Car Report 2015":

BMW Z4 in the category Convertibles/Sports Cars (Reliability) 

Distinctions conferred by J.D. Power and Associates: 

"Initial Quality Award 2015":

BMW 2 Series in the Small Premium Cars category

BMW 4 Series in the Compact Premium Cars category

BMW 5 Series in the Premium Cars category 

"APEAL Study 2015":

BMW 4 Series in the Compact Premium Cars category

BMW 6 Series in the Mid-Size Premium Cars category

BMW 2 Series in the Small Premium Cars category 

"Platinum Plant Quality Award 2015":

BMW Plant Rosslyn, South Africa

"Silver Plant Quality Award 2015":

BMW Plant Dingolfing 

Distinctions conferred by "UK Car of the Year":

"UK Car of the Year":

BMW i8 as the best car of the year 

"Best Performance Car of the Year":

BMW i8 in the category of best sports cars of the year 

Distinction conferred by "Popular Science": 

"Best of What's New" 2015:

BMW 7 Series in the automobile category

Distinctions conferred by "Blogger Auto Awards":

"Blogger Auto Awards 2015":

BMW i3 in the Small Cars category

BMW i8 in the Sports Cars category 

Distinction conferred by "Schweizer Illustrierte":

"Swiss Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the "The most stylish car in Switzerland" category

Distinction conferred by "Freie Fahrt": 

"Big Austrian Automobile Prize" 2015:

BMW 7 Series in the "Premium" category

Distinction conferred by "Car Styling Magazine":

"the golden marker trophy":

BMW i3 for best automobile design

Distinction conferred by "The Washington Auto Show":

"Luxury Green Car of the Year":

BMW i8 in the category Most Environment-Friendly Luxury Car

Distinction conferred by "Coty Australia": 

"Car of the Year 2015":

BMW i3 as the best car of the year

Distinction conferred by "L ʼ árgus": 

"Trophée Argus":

BMW 218d Active Tourer in the Compact/Family Car category

Distinction conferred by „J-COTY“: 

"Car of the Year Japan”:

BMW 2er Active / Gran Tourer als Import Car of the Year

Distinction conferred by "China Business Journal": 

"Technology Innovation Award":

BMW 7 Series in the Innovative Technology category

Distinction conferred by "The Beijing News": 

"Luxury Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category

Distinction conferred by "auto, motor und sport China": 

"BEST CARS 2015":

BMW i3 in the category Best Compact Car

Distinction conferred by "West China City Daily": 

"The Most Anticipated":

BMW 7 Series in the D Class category

Distinction conferred by "163.com": 

"Luxury Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category

Distinction conferred by "yiche.com": 

"5 Best Imported Cars of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Import Vehicles category

Distinction conferred by "National Business Daily": 

"2015 Luxury Car":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Car of the Year category

Distinction conferred by "emao.com": 

"2016 Large Luxury Car Recommendation":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category

Distinction conferred by "youcheyihou": 

"China Mobile Internet Annual Model Series Award":

BMW 7 Series in the Mobile Internet category

Distinction conferred by "Auto Headline": 

"Annual Top New Media Communications Case":

BMW 7 Series

Distinction conferred by "Auto World":

"Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series

Distinction conferred by "Tencent": 

"Imported Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Import Cars category

Distinction conferred by "ifeng.com": 

"Global Luxury Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category

Distinction conferred by "Nanfang Metropolis Daily":

"Imported Luxury Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category

Distinction conferred by "China Business News": 

"Elite Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series

Distinction conferred by "12gang.com":

"Luxury Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category

Distinction conferred by "Zaker":

"New Car Appreciation":

BMW 7 Series

Distinction conferred by "21th Century Media":

"Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series

Distinction conferred by "Motor Trend":

"Imported Car of the Year":

BMW 7 Series in the Import Cars category

Distinction conferred by "chexun.com": 

"The Most Popular Luxury Car":

BMW 7 Series in the Luxury Performance category