Designed for more
Exciting times
The Indian car market has been buzzing like never before. Every segment has received fresh, exciting offerings. This means more competition. And that is great news for car buyers. From entry level cars to ultra luxurious SUVs, all manufacturers were striving to deliver more value to their customers. They had to work harder than ever for attention from buyers. They didn’t just create innovative new products, but also tried new ways of selling. But, if there are so many new cars with innovative new designs and features, how then do you pick one that can be given the ‘Car of the Year’ mantle? Simple. We look for the car that has moved the goalposts for its segment. We look for something that has shaken up not just car buyers, but the entire auto industry.
And what car was it?
There were some serious contenders. But, in the end, it was a rather obvious choice. Only one car had shattered the perception of its segment completely. Only one car had garnered a massive amount of interest from buyers and the automotive industry from the moment it was unveiled. And this car, that so deservedly earned the ‘Car of the Year’ award, was the Renault Kwid.
Why did it deserve to win?
What did the Renault Kwid do that its competition did not? It all starts with how innovative a company Renault is. It is known for series of firsts ever since the Renault brand was born. Its standard operating procedure is doing what everyone should be doing but nobody thinks of it like Renault does. Remember how the Duster made people go all crazy about it? It delivered what everyone wanted. Simplicity, efficiency, reliability, comfort and safety, all wrapped up in an attractive, affordable and innovative looking package. Renault just recreated that. In a smart but compact package. And no one can deny that the Kwid is very attractive, affordable and truly innovative.
How was it judged?
A jury of experts convene, test and decide the most deserving car for the award. Our expert jury, consisting of Hormazd Sorabjee, editor of Autocar India, Shapur Kotwal, deputy editor of Autocar India, Renuka Kirpalani, editor of the Autocar Show, Narain Karthikeyan, F1 racer and renowned automotive historian Manvendra Singh, have turned this process into a precise science. And with them is over 40 years of experience and expertise. They’ve fine-tuned a process which involves the analysis of an exhaustive list of parameters that helps them pick a clear winner. Each jury member also drives all the cars and rates them on parameters like fitness for purpose, design, performance, ride and handling, driving pleasure, fuel efficiency, safety, ownership experience and relevance to the market. Cold, hard, irrefutable facts and figures on numerous parameters of a car’s performance are obtained using Autocar India’s top-of-the-line data acquisition equipment. This ensures accuracy. What is also taken into consideration is how much effect the car has on its segment. Does it in any way redefine it? Does it push the boundaries of previously accepted standards? Does it bring something fresh, new and exciting to the market? The car that makes the maximum difference, wins.
