For the Vindis Group manufacturers , the awards in the first three months of the year have been flooding in so here are the highlights :
A8 - ‘ Chauffeur Car of the Year ’ - thechauffeur . com
A familiar sight at the 2013 BAFTAs ( British Academy Film Awards ) as the official car of the stars , the Audi A8 took to the centre stage itself to accept a ‘ Chauffeur Car of the Year ’ award from leading industry portal thechauffeur . com
The long wheelbase A8 L was winner of the £ 50,000 to £ 75,000 category , a second consecutive win and its third since the awards began .
Not only was the car itself commended for its magnificent quality , comfort and drive but also for the Audi UK chauffeur programme too .
ŠKODA Yeti - Voted most satisfying car to own by UK drivers
In the annual Auto Express Driver Power customer satisfaction survey , the result marks a spectacular hat-trick for the brand , having recorded first place finishes in 2011 and 2012 .
The Yeti topped the annual Driver Power chart of 100 cars for the second year in a row with an overall satisfaction rating of 92.65 % – the highest recorded in this year ’ s survey . The influential report is compiled by Auto Express using feedback supplied by car owners across the country . This year , more than 46,000 motorists were asked to rate their car in 10 key categories .
Steve Fowler , Editor-in-Chief of Auto Express , said : “ We ’ ve always liked the Yeti – it ’ s a former Auto Express Car of the Year – so it ’ s great to see so many owners agreeing with us . They like its practicality , the tech on board and how easy and enjoyable it is to drive .”
Build quality was another area where Auto Express readers felt the Yeti couldn ’ t be bettered . With an approval rating of 96.25 %, the Czech-built car outscored rivals costing twice as much .
Launched in 2009 , the Yeti has won more than 20 industry , media and customer satisfaction awards to date , and shows no signs of stopping .
What Car ? Awards
In January , it was a proud night for Audi at the annual What Car ? Awards as the TT Coupe retained ‘ Best Coupe ’ ( its seventh consecutive trophy at these awards ) whilst the new A3 Sportback triumphed , taking ‘ Best Small Family Car ’ and overall ‘ Car of the Year ’ for 2013 .
What Car ? Chief Editor , Chas Hallett , put it simply when he praised the A3 Sportback ’ s “ new levels of brilliance in a host of areas .”
European Car of the Year 2013
The New Golf has also won the highly coveted Car of the Year award for 2013 , for more on the award and the seventh generation Golf itself , see page 24 .
With the beginning of 2013 bringing great achievements and success , we are sure this will not be the last time these cars are seen gracing the winners list .
Audi have redesigned and refitted the Sportback from the ground up and were justifiably proud that judges referred to it as “ the new benchmark ” in family hatchbacks , particular mentioning the “ smooth and punchy ” engine , and an interior with “ easily the finest cabin quality ever seen in a small family hatchback .”
This year the Volkswagen up ! ( previous winner of the Car of the Year Award in 2012 ) left winner of the Best City Car award category for its combination of enjoyable , comfortable driving with practicality .
World Car of the Year 2013 - Volkswagen Golf
ŠKODA ‘ COTY ’ 2013 CarBuyer Awards
ŠKODA has also received honours in 2013 from respected consumer motoring website CarBuyer . The ŠKODA Citigo was voted ‘ Best City Car ’ while the new ŠKODA Octavia , which only recently arrived in showrooms , earned the title ‘ Best Family Car ’.
Steve Fowler , Editor-in-Chief of CarBuyer , commented : “ The ŠKODA Citigo ticks all the right boxes for city car buyers … and then some . Great things come in small packages and this is a truly great car .”
Commenting on ŠKODA ’ s offering of ‘ more for less ’ “ The new Octavia is a prime example . It offers more quality , more space and more value than its rivals , yet still manages to be cheaper – it ’ s a brilliant family car .”
Prof . Dr . Martin Winterkorn , Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft , explained : “ To win this award again shows that the Golf is and remains in a class of its own all around the world .”
This latest trophy adds to an already sterling achievement for the new model racking up an impressive 17 awards . The jury for World Car of the Year is made up of motoring journalists from 23 countries around the world and on their decision commented ; “ The Golf is just the right size – it ’ s spacious , practical and comfortable . It has a fresh , progressive design , a new range of engines , plus an impressive list of equipment and safety systems . If there is a car for everyone , the Golf is it .”
The judges rate new cars that are available on the world market not only for the award , but also in their daily reporting work for millions of drivers and car enthusiasts .
In previous years other Volkswagen models have been crowned winner including the up !, Polo and Passat took the title ‘ World Green Car of the Year ’ in 2010 .
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