Honda Accord Euro wins Wheels COTY

I know the Aussie car mags cop a lot of flak out there in readerland, but for mine, they do a better than half reasonable job of catering to what may be considered our narrow local market, while still giving good coverage of activities beyond our shores.

To that end the Wheels Magazine Car of the Year award lays claim to being the world’s longest continuously running COTY award. That’s pretty cool I reckon, and also says a fair bit about the longevity and relevance of motoring journalism in our country.

Okay, enough pontificating, and onto the news that the second gen Honda Accord Euro has been named this year’s Wheels COTY winner. The mag, perhaps not doing anything to placate their critics, announces the award on Channel 9’s A Current Affair these days. Sure, that gets them a great TV audience, but, to me, does little to enhance their reputation as the country’s leading car mag. ACA is mostly a disgrace that does little more than whip its audience into a lather about the latest terrorist “threat” and the current must do diet craze.

Wheels, you owe yourself a greater show of self-respect than your affiliation with ACA offers.

So, about that pontificating. Yes, erm, anyway, back to the car gong, Honda Australia, obviously, was chuffed to claim the award and Mr Yasuhide Mizuno, Managing Director and CEO said, “This is fantastic result for a fantastic car that epitomises every element of Honda’s DNA. It’s fun to drive nature combined with quality, safety, value and sporty styling is what the second-generation Accord Euro is about.”

Good for Honda. For more on the Wheels COTY check out their website.

Honda Accord Euro is 2008 Wheels Car of the Year

MELBOURNE – The Honda Accord Euro has been awarded the 2008 Wheels Magazine Car of the Year.

Outclassing a field of 35 eligible new passenger vehicles launched in 2008, the Accord Euro won the prize, recognised as one of motoring’s most prestigious awards globally.

To crown the winner, intensive testing over 7 days by 8 expert judges from Wheels of 18 new models, covering in excess of 10,000 kilometres was undertaken.

The criteria covered 5 key areas; function, technology, environmental efficiency, safety and value.

Announcing the win nationally to approximately two million viewers on Channel 9’s A Current Affair, Wheels Editor Mr. Ged Bulmer commented, “The Honda Accord Euro is the right car for the times, not too big, not too thirsty and not too expensive.

“It blends great driver satisfaction with outstanding dynamics and supreme passenger comfort.

“It is an exceptionally well–rounded car with painstaking care to build quality and detail.”

Honda Australia Managing Director and CEO, Mr Yasuhide Mizuno was delighted with winning the award.

“This is fantastic result for a fantastic car that epitomises every element of Honda’s DNA. It’s fun to drive nature combined with quality, safety, value and sporty styling is what the second-generation Accord Euro is about.

“I want to say thank you to all the judges for making the Accord Euro number one. We were a finalist with the first-generation Euro in 2003, so to be recognised for our efforts with this prestigious award with the second-generation Euro makes everyone at Honda very proud. It is a wonderful way to start the year,” Mr. Mizuno said.

The 2008 Wheels Car of the Year Award is the fifth won by Honda, the first being the original Honda Accord in 1977 which was also the first Japanese car to do so.

Other Honda models to win include the Honda Prelude in 1987, the Honda NSX in 1991 (joint with Nissan Pulsar) and the Honda Odyssey in 1995.

Now, some 14 years later, the Honda Accord Euro has triumphed, winning the 46th annual award of the world longest continuously running Car of the Year Award.

The award winning Honda Accord Euro offers buyers the choice of three models and is priced from $33,990*.

*Recommended retail price without on road costs