Godrej Aer Presents 7th BBC TopGear Magazine India Awards

 

The 7th BBC TopGear India Magazine Awards were announced this evening in Mumbai at a glittering event held at the Sofitel Luxury hotel, BKC. The TopGear Awards are the definitive acknowledgement of automotive excellence, and is one of the most awaited events in the Indian automotive industry. To receive the ‘Stig’, a car, or a motorcycle has to be special. The previous winners of the most prestigious awards in the country have included cars such as the Porsche Cayman S, Mini Cooper S and Audi RS 5. 

 

BBC TopGear India is the country’s second largest automotive title. It has over 1.5 million likes of Facebook, and topgear.com/india is among the India’s most visited automotive websites. 

Commenting on the BBC TopGear Magazine Awards, Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media Ltd, said: “It is very tough to get your hands on the Stig. Our boys at TopGear put the machines through gruelling, real world tests through the year and take their time choosing their winners. There are other awards and then there is The Stig: The Oscars of the automobile world.”

 

The Car of the Year, the one automobile that won the ultimate Stig, was the Porsche Macan, while the Bike of the Year was the Triumph Daytona 675R.
 

According to Girish Karkera, Editor and Chief Community Officer, BBC TopGear India, and head of the jury at the magazine, “Porsche has done what was not possible before: to make an SUV that can handle like a sportscar. The Macan is also a very versatile automobile. It’s plush, quick, has a great heritage, and most importantly, for us here at TopGear India, it is fun.”
 

The awards night saw a variety of cars and motorcycles grace the podium. Among them were the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Lamborghini Huracan, the Indian Chief Vintage and the Suzuki Gixxer. Sticking to tradition, the winners this year were selected by the magazine’s writers and road-testers who live with the cars through the year and subject them to a variety of situations and environments. This is in sharp contrast to the usual procedure prevalent in automotive awards circles, of inviting test riders and drives to drive and ride chosen cars and motorcycles for a day before arriving at a decision. 

 

“This is the TopGear style of working. It’s not just about performance on the track, a car should also perform in real world situations. It helps us home in on the most deserving cars and bikes, and be absolutely sure of our choices,” said Girish Karkera.
 

Apart from high performance machines, the year’s awardees also included robust, practical machines such as the Honda Mobilio, the Hyundai Elite i20 and the Honda Activa 125. According to Tarun Rai, choosing the most deserving car or bike for these categories was not an easy job because of the sheer number of options available. “There are a number of good cars and motorcycles in the Indian market today, and it is a sign that the market has matured.” The awardees also included the Force Gurkha RFC and the Polaris RZR900. These two machines won two very TopGear awards: the former was the Monster of the Year, and the latter the Boys’ Toy of the Year. 

 

And it wasn’t just about the machines. TopGear also awarded the men who left a massive impact in the world of automobiles. These included Mercedes-Benz India CEO, Eberhard Kern, for charting the resurgence of the luxury brand in India and CS Santhosh for becoming the first Indian ever to successfully compete in the legendary Dakar Rally. They were named as TopGear’s Men of the Year.
 

The winners

1. Entertainer of the Year: Jaguar F-Type Coupe R

2. Luxury Car of the Year: Mercedes-Benz S-Class

3. Manufacturer of the Year: Hyundai

4. People’s SUV of the Year: Mahindra Scorpio

5. Family Car of the Year: Honda Mobilio

6. Cruiser of the Year: Indian Chief Vintage

7. Supercar of the Year: Lamborghini Huracan

8. Boys’ Toy of the Year: Polaris RZR 900 (ATV)

9. Scooter of the Year: Honda Activa 125

10. Comeback of the Year: Tata Motors

11. Facelift of the Year: Fiat Punto Evo

12. Variant of the Year: Renault Duster All-Wheel Drive

13. Sportsbike of the Year: Triumph Daytona 675R

14. Idea of the Year: Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 AGS

15. Man of the Year: Eberhard Kern

16. Man of the Year (Motorsports): CS Santosh

17. Readers’ Choice Car of the Year: Hyundai Elite i20

18. Readers’ Choice Bike of the Year: KTM RC 390

19. Engine of the Year: Mercedes 45 AMG

20. Value Car of the Year: Hyundai Xcent

21. Value Bike of the Year: Harley-Davidson Street 750

22. Saloon Car of the Year: Audi A3

23. Monster of the Year: Force Gurkha RFC

24. Car Design of the Year: Jaguar F-Type Coupe R

25. Bike Design of the Year: Kawasaki Z1000

26. Hatchback of the Year: Hyundai Elite i20

27. Interior of the Year: Mercedes-Benz C-Class

28. Driver’s Car of the Year: Porsche Macan

29. Street Sport bike of the Year: Suzuki Gixxer

30. Performance Car of the Year: BMW M3

31. Bike of the Year: Triumph Daytona 675R

32. Car of the Year: Porsche Macan