Audi RS6, Ducati Scrambler headline 8th BBC TopGear India Magazine awards
The 8th 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 coveted ‘Stig’ trophy, 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 Macan, Mini Cooper S and Audi RS5.
BBC TopGear India is the country’s second largest automotive title. It has over 1.7 million likes on Facebook, and topgear.com/india is among India’s most visited automotive websites.
Commenting on the BBC TopGear Magazine Awards, Deepak Lamba, CEO, Worldwide Media Ltd, said: “BBC TopGear Magazine celebrated 10 years in India last year. And it has been a roller-coaster ride. Every year, we have seen its followers increase and it is now the voice of a big community of enthusiasts who want beyond the obvious in their cars and bikes. The Awards help us identify the special machines launched in the last one year and the Stig for them is our own, unique way of thanking manufacturers for having brought these wonderful machines to us.”
The Car of the Year, the automobile that won the ultimate Stig, was the Audi RS6, while the Bike of the Year was the Ducati Scrambler. According to Girish Karkera, Editor and Chief Community Officer, BBC TopGear India, and head of the jury at the magazine, “The Audi RS6 brings in a completely new aspect of motoring in its segment. In that sense it’s a landmark vehicle and so deservedly our Car of the Year. Same for our Bike of the Year. Ducati is relatively new in India but it has a lot of heritage and experience in making bikes that make us want them. The Scrambler isn’t just a bike you want, it is a bike you need to take on the unpredictable roads that our part of the world entails. It is just the kind of all-rounder we were looking for.”
The Awards night saw a variety of cars and motorcycles on the podium. Among them were the Audi TT, the Porsche 911 Turbo S, the BMW i8, the Benelli TNT 899 and the Honda CBR650F. Sticking to tradition, the winners 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 drivers to drive and ride the chosen cars and motorcycles for a day before arriving at a decision.
“Brand TopGear has always been at the forefront when it comes to celebrating automobiles. Our endeavour has always been to go beyond the obvious aspects that make cars and bikes important to us. I think that makes winning a ‘Stig’ even more special because not only do these machines fulfill criteria such as practicality, safety and reliability, but also need to be fun to drive, engaging and cool. I would like to congratulate all the winners who have walked away with a ‘Stig’,” said Girish Karkera.
Apart from high performance machines, the year’s awardees also included robust, practical machines such as the Hyundai Creta, the Fiat Abarth Punto and the Mahindra Mojo. Besides, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S and the Maserati Quattroporte GTS won two very TopGear awards: the former was the Entertainer of the Year, and the latter the Exotic Car of the Year.
The Winners are:
- Adventure Tourer of the Year: Triumph Tiger 800 XCx
- Compact Hatchback of the Year: Renault Kwid
- Entertainer of the Year: Mercedes-AMG C63 S
- SUV of the Year: Hyundai Creta
- Sportscar of the Year: Audi TT
- Hot Hatchback of the Year: Fiat Abarth Punto
- Executive Saloon of the Year: Toyota Camry Hybrid
- Entry-Level Sportsbike of the Year: Yamaha YZF-R3
- Sport-Tourer of the Year: Honda CBR650F
- Surprise Package of the Year: Mahindra Mojo
- Scooter of the Year: Hero Maestro Edge
- Naked Sportsbike of the Year: Benelli TNT 899
- Readers’ Choice Bike of the Year: Bajaj Pulsar RS200
- Readers’ Choice Car of the Year: Hyundai Creta
- Design of the Year: BMW i8
- Exotic Car of the Year: Maserati Quattroporte GTS
- Family Car of the Year: Audi RS6 Avant
- Hatchback of the Year: Maruti Baleno
- Luxury Car of the Year: Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe
- Luxury SUV of the Year: Volvo XC90
- Performance SUV of the Year: Range Rover Sport SVR
- Quickest Car of the Year: Porsche 911 Turbo S
- Bike of the Year: Ducati Scrambler
- Car of the Year: Audi RS6 Avant
