The MX-5 was also declared the World Car Design of the Year; Toyota Mirai, BMW 7-series and Audi R8 also winners in their respective categories.

The Mazda MX-5 has been declared the winner of the World Car of the Year award.

At a ceremony held at the New York motor show, the Mazda MX-5 was announced as the international jury’s favourite new car for 2016, beating competition from a list of 23 new cars, including fellow finalists, the Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

The car came third in the recently announced European Car of the Year Awards, with the top gong awarded to the Vauxhall Astra. However, the six UK jurors in the awards, announced at Geneva motor show, would have had the MX-5 ahead by a significant margin.

Commenting on the MX-5’s victory, Mazda President and CEO, North American Operations, Masahiro Moro, said: “As our iconic MX-5 roadster approaches one million units of production, this award is proof that it is as young, vibrant, fun and relevant as ever. While I accept this award on behalf of the company, I do so representing every Mazda employee, retail partner and customer around the world who has ever felt the joy of driving a pure roadster. We say ‘Driving Matters’ in our advertising, and we prove it in our cars.”

The World Car of the Year jury consists of 73 motoring journalists from 23 countries. Each juror votes from a list of eligible cars chosen by a steering committee. To be eligible, the cars must be on sale on at least two continents. Points are awarded in a replica rolex watches range of varying disciplines, and the votes are tabulated by international accounting firm, KPMG. Victory for the MX-5 provides Mazda with its second overall World Car of the Year award.

Previous winners include the Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2015), Audi A3 (2014), Volkswagen Golf (2013),  Volkswagen Up (2012), Nissan Leaf (2011), Volkswagen Polo (2010), Volkswagen Golf (2009), Mazda 2 (2008), Lexus LS460 (2007), BMW 3 Series (2006) and Audi A6 (2005).

In other World Car of the Year category awards announced today, the Toyota Mirai beat the Toyota Prius Plug-In and Chevrolet Volt to the title of 2016 World Green Car award.

The BMW 7 Series took out the 2016 World Luxury Car ahead of the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90.
On the performance car front, the Audi R8 Coupe headed the Mercedes-Benz C 63 Coupe and Honda Civic Type R in the 2016 World Performance Car award.

The Mazda MX-5 was also declared the 2016 World Car Design of the Year, beating the Jaguar XE and Mazda CX-3.

Courtesy : Autocar

The concept pick-up truck was showcased at the 2016 Bangkok International Motor Show.

Chevrolet Colorado Xtreme, an off-road ready pick-up truck concept has been unveiled at the 2016 Bangkok International Motor Show. The concept is based on the 2016 Chevrolet Trailblazer which was also showcased alongside the Xtreme. An engine hood scoop, bumper skid plates, body cladding and 18-inch full-mud terrain tyres complete the SUV’s off-roader looks.

Renault has teased the Russia-bound Kaptur crossover that is expected to be revealed towards the end of March 2016. The 4x4 crossover will be produced at Renault's plant in Moscow and the model has been designed to cater to the needs of emerging markets. While Renault has not released a list of destination markets for the Kaptur, it is believed that India could be one of them.

While the name is similar to the Captur CUV sold in Europe, it is believed that this is more than just a rebadged version of the Captur. The Captur is based on the same platform as the Renault Clio and is offered only with front wheel drive, while the Kaptur is expected to share its underpinnings with the Duster and will offer all-wheel drive.

The Kaptur is expected to get a longer wheelbase than the Captur as well and may come with the option of a third row of seats. Specific details are only speculative and reports suggest the model could get the TCe 90 and TCe 120 turbo-petrol units and the 1.5L dCi/K9K oil-burner.

The Kaptur is expected to go on sale in markets like Russia and Brazil before reaching Indian shores, possibly in 2017.

Courtesy : Team BHP

The UV segment records a sharp increase of 21 percent in February sales. Creta bags top spot with 8,196 units.

The character of Indian roads is changing and utility vehicles (UV) are coming back into the spotlight with an increasing number of customers opting for multi-purpose vehicles rather than ones just meant for rudimentary commute, which was evident in the recent sales figures as well.

Even as the passenger cars segment reported de-growth for a second consecutive month in February, the utility vehicle segment grew sharply by almost 21 percent in the month to provide a buffer to the overall passenger vehicles sales. This resurgence of the UV segment in India is thanks to the growing popularity of compact UVs coupled with the introduction of various new products by manufacturers to tap niche segments.

The top sellers in February constitute a mix of urban and rugged SUVs, MPVs and a sub-four metre compact UVs as well. Hyundai’s Creta claimed the top spot in February with sales of 8,196 units, its highest ever in a month since launch in July last year. The Creta has been constantly clocking average sales of around 7,000 units a month and is among the top choices for customers looking for an urban SUV.
 

Mahindra & Mahindra, the country’s largest UV manufacturer, grabbed the second spot on the list with its trusty old workhorse, the Bolero. A favourite of the rural customers, due to its rugged and go- anywhere image, the Bolero has been the most consistent performer for the manufacturer despite being in production for 16 years now. The MUV clocked sales of 7,446 units in February.

Next on the list is the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. A popular fleet and family vehicle, this urban MPV based on the Swift platform has been a game changer for the country’s largest carmaker since its launch in 2012. Offered with a host of engine options ranging from petrol, CNG and diesel variants, Maruti Suzuki recently introduced a SHVS mild hybrid variant of the MPV and has managed to add incremental volumes in February. The carmaker despatched 5,620 units of the model in the month.

The country’s most sold MPV – Toyota Innova – took the fourth spot in the list with sales of 4,945 units.  The Innova, which was brought in India to replace the Qualis, became an instant hit when it was launched in 2005 and became equally popular among fleet and private owners. Now with the-next generation Crysta showcased at Auto Expo 2016 and the last batch of production for the current generation wrapped up on March 14, the Innova is set to be replaced soon.
 

The last spot was taken by another Mahindra, and this time its newest offering – the KUV100. With looks that are more hatchback than SUV, the KUV100 garnered sales of 4,486 units in February. The company is working on ramping up production for the KUV100 and hopes to see consistent demand for the model in the future, which could make it a regular feature in the Top 5 as well.

The UV space is set to see a lot more action in the coming days with a wide range of launches from various manufacturers in the pipeline. The recent launch of the Maruti Vitara Brezza, its first step into the sub-four metre compact SUV segment, has stirred the market with big expectations. Given all the positive feedback for the SUV, we could see a strong contender for the top spot in the form of the Vitara Brezza in the coming months.

Courtesy : Autocar

Jagat Singh and Nagarjuna A have won the inaugural race of the T1 Prima Truck Racing Championship, organized for Indian truck drivers. The championship, which is in its third edition, for the first time, featured the Super Class - a category for Indian drivers. These drivers were selected through training and selection programs from Tata Motors' fleet customers' operations across the country.

The drivers were trained by race instructors in India over a period of three months. The race attracted a crowd of over 50,000 people. The first place winners of the two Super Class category races were awarded Rs. 10 lakh each.

The Pro Class (which featured international racing drivers) saw David Jenkins, Rick Collett and Graham Powell finish first, second and third respectively.

David Jenkins of Team Tata Technologies, who had finished fourth in the first 8-lap race of the two Pro Class races, managed to take top honours in the final 20-lap race. Rick Collett and Graham Powell, both from Team Tata Cummins, took second and third place respectively.

Matt Summerfield of Team Castrol Vecton, winner of the first 8-lap race, clocked the fastest lap of 1:50:691 seconds in the second race, around the 3.1 kilometer long race track.

Results:

Race 1 - Indian Drivers Batch 1

1. Jagat Singh
2. Malkeet Singh
3. Rajkumar Mahato
4. MD Parvez
5. Rabinder Yadav
6. Syed Akram Pasha

Race 2 - International Drivers

1. Matt Summerfield
2. Graham Powell
3. Rick Collett
4. David Jenkins
5. Tony Smith
6. Ben Horne
7. Olly Janes
8. Paul McCumisky
9. Adam Bint
10. Brian Burt
11. Simon Cole
12. Ray Coleman

Race 3 - Indian Drivers Batch 2

1. Nagarjuna A
2. Bhag Chand
3. Anand
4. Jitendra Singh
5. Bacchu Singh
6. MD Iliyas

Race 4 - International Drivers

1. David Jenkins
2. Rick Collett
3. Graham Powell
4. Ben Horne
5. Brian Burt
6. Tony Smith
7. Adam Bint
8. Matt Summerfield
9. Olly Janes
10. Simon Cole
11. Ray Coleman
12. Paul McCumisky