Tag: Wheels COTY

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BMW Green Machines

BMW i3 wins 2014 Wheels COTY

BMW i3

The BMW i3 has been named the 2014 Wheels Car of the Year. This, we think, is a pretty cool thing.

Yes, it’s expensive for a city runabout. Yes, that makes it out of reach of most people. But, the i3 represents a step forward. It’s not just that it’s not a Prius, but that electric powered cars are still maturing and the technology developed for products like the i3 will benefit all of us as the years go by.

Glenn Butler, Wheels Editor, called the i3 “courageous and convincing,” before adding: “Other brands surely possess the know-how to have created something equally visionary. BMW had the bravery.

“This innovative and compact electric car combines expressive design, impressive engineering, exceptional efficiency and persuasive practicality with a good deal of driver appeal.”

The BMW i3 is the first electric car to win the Wheels COTY and the first BMW to claim the honour.

Also in the top five finalists were the Mazda 2, the Mercedes-Benz C Class, the Peugeot 308 and fellow electric car the Tesla Model S.

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf wins 2013 Wheels COTY

2013 Volkswagen Golf

The Volkswagen Golf VII has been awarded the annual Wheels Car of the Year award. It’s the third win for Volkswagen’s venerable Golf, following wins for the Mk1 in 1976 and the Mk6 in 2009.

Car of the Year judges spoke very enthusiastically about the latest Golf. Wheels Editor Glenn Butler said: “Volkswagen seems almost to have set out to create a car to excel in every one of the five Wheels Car of the Year criteria. And, quite simply, the Golf has aced it.”

While long-time Wheels contributor John Carey stated: “From the smallest, thoughtful details to the biggest basics, this is a car that never falters. Its breadth of talent, it’s almost annoyingly persistent perfectionism and its unrelenting satisfaction make it something truly rare… a car for all reasons.

“This is one of the most worthy Wheels Car of the Year winners ever.”

It’s a welcome PR win for Volkswagen Australia who bungled its handing of the fallout from the Melissa Ryan case badly. The 32-year-old was killed while driving her Mk5 Golf GTI following a crash with a B-double semi trailer on Melbourne’s Monash Freeway, with claims her car inexplicably lost power and caused the accident.

Subsequent media coverage from Fairfax Media was highly critical of Volkswagen with many readers reporting concerns over the reliability of their VWs. Notably, DSG transmissions, diesel engines and 1.4 litre TFSI engines found in Mk6 Golfs. Ryan’s car was a 6-speed manual Mk5 Golf GTI powered by a 2.0 litre petrol engine, a fact often skimmed over by Fairfax and certainly missed by most of its readers.

The Victorian Coroner found Ryan’s car was not at fault and did not contribute to her death. However, Volkswagen Australia suffered in the eyes of the public and did not handle the criticism well at all in the early stages of the Fairfax campaign.

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News Subaru Toyota

Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 named Wheels COTY

Subaru BRZ

The Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 twins have been awarded the Wheels Car of the Year award. It joins a host of other awards collected by the Toybaru, including the Carsguide top honour.

Wheels editor Stephen Corby acknowledged the success of the Subaru–Toyota partnership, “Seldom do joint projects produce something remarkable like this.”

The magazine went on to describe some of the key attributes for the winning pair: “Never before has pure driving pleasure been so accessible. Affordable, remarkably rewarding to drive, efficient and safe, the collaboration between Toyota and Subaru left the competition behind and drove—with just a dab of oppo—onto the Wheels COTY podium.”

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Green Machines Holden

Honda CR-Z wins 2011 Wheels COTY

Honda CR-Z, 2011 Wheels COTY winner

Honda’s frugal and slightly oddball CR-Z has won the 2011 Wheels Car of the Year award. It’s the world’s first hybrid to be offered with a 6-speed manual transmission. Even though it’s powered by a modest 91kW/174Nm 1.5 litre i-VTEC engine with Integrated Motor Assist the Wheels judges applaud the CR-Z’s ability to put a smile on the face of its driver.

Wheels Editor, Bill Thomas, said: “The CR-Z takes the idea of the car in a direction we think it should go. It’s innovative, trendsetting, efficient and fun to drive.

“We think the spirit of Honda shines through. Cars don’t have to be ‘supercars’ to be fun. It’s the CR-Z’s balance of abilities—the combination of price, performance and fun.”

While long time staffer and COTY judge John Carey stated: “Expertly engineered, impressively efficient and with strong safety credentials, the Honda CR-Z is also a genuine joy to drive… Endowed with the kind of handling and steering that invites involvement, the Honda puts a smile on the face of any driver who accepts the invitation.”

The CR-Z beat a field of 28 models, consisting of over 60 cars in total when different model variations were added to the mix. It’s the sixth time Honda has won the award and follows the company’s most recent success with the Accord Euro in 2008.

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Polo wins 2010 Wheels COTY

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Volkswagen has claimed back-to-back Wheels Car of the Year awards, Australia’s most prestigious COTY honour. Last year it was the Golf, this year the award goes to the new Polo.

The Polo has followed in the path of its bigger sibling abroad, too, by winning the European and World COTY titles. No surprise it’s very hard to get your hands on a pocket rocket GTI version, then!

Wheels editor Bill Thomas said, “It’s the depth of engineering skill applied to the Polo and the very obvious quality of the car that impresses most – if you were to pay it the right compliment, you’d say it feels like a scaled-down Golf. That means it brings new standards of refinement and comfort to the super-mini class.

“Two Car of the Year victories in a row for Volkswagen reflect the skill of the engineers involved and the ambition of the company as a whole.”

This is the fourth Wheels COTY award for Volkswagen, following earlier wins for the Mk1 Passat (1974) and the Mk1 Golf (1976).

The official press release from Volkswagen Australia is available after the break.

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf wins 2009 Wheels COTY

Volkswagen Golf - 2009 Wheels COTY

Wheels magazine announced today that the Volkswagen Golf VI has won their coveted Car of the Year award. Ged Bulmer, Wheels editor said, “The turbocharged, five-door hatch VW Golf range is outstanding. The Golf oozes sophistication, refinement and development—in an energetic package that comes with fundamentally good steering and balance.”

The local award rounds out a solid 2009 at the awards table for Volkswagen with the Golf claiming the World Car of the Year title, among a raft of Australian awards, as well. The new Polo was also awarded the 2010 European Car of the Year title.

The sixth generation model is the first Golf since the original Mk1 model in 1976 to win the Wheels gong. Volkswagen’s Golf edged out the Toyota Prius, Skoda Superb and Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan after judges cut the original 22-car field down to a final four.

UPDATE: Volkswagen’s PR machine is on the case and their press release can be viewed after the jump. Anke Koeckler, Volkswagen Group Australia managing director is naturally keen to promote the Golf as best-in-class, “The Golf’s selection as Wheels Car of the Year is the crowning achievement of an extraordinary year for the new Golf after already being named ‘Best Mid size car over $30,000’ by Australia’s Best Car Award and winning the 2009 Cars Guide Car of the Year and 2009 DRIVE Car of the Year awards.

“Winning the Wheels Car of the Year is proof the new Golf is at the pinnacle of automotive design and engineering yet is still attainable, a winning combination obviously.”

If you have a modicum of common sense you will have missed the live announcement on the abominable A Current Affair last night. The edited clip featuring just the Wheels COTY segment can now be seen at ninemsn video.

[Source: CarPoint]

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Honda News

Honda Accord Euro wins Wheels COTY

Honda Accord Euro - Wheels COTY 2009

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.

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