Segment Winners : 2011 ZW Car of the Year Awards

First up, there was a boiling battle in the premium hatchback space where the New Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Toyota Etios Liva slugged it out with the Honda Brio. The entry-level compact segment also had a quick spar between the Toyota Etios and the Nissan Sunny, and the Compact Sedan space saw its own stellar launches in the form of the Hyundai Fluidic Verna, the new Ford Fiesta and the smartly badged Skoda Rapid.

Read on to find out which cars came out on top in what will remain one of the most exciting years for Indian motoring. The cars you see here promise to redefine the way we drive five years from now!

CBU Luxury Sedan

Audi A8L

Fantastic quattro-driven performance coupled with uber-luxury, the new A8 has come in to shake up the CBU luxury sedan segment. Justifiably, it also takes our award in this segment for 2011.

Entry-level Compact Sedan

Nissan Sunny

One of the best cars in its segment to be driven in, the Sunny topped its own segment owing to its smart outlook, and sharp pricing strategy.

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Premium Mid-size Sedan

Renault Fluence

Distinctive looks with a comfortable, sensible drive make this latest French entrant beat its rivals to shift the judgment in its favour.

Premium Sedan

Volkswagen Passat

The new Passat redefines being packed to the gills with features. A supple ride quality makes it an obvious choice, despite it being the only launch in its class this year.

SUV of the year

Mahindra XUV 5OO

Running on home-grown technology, the XUV5OO is not only a massive technical leap for its makers, but also fills in a critical void in its segment which had existed for a long time. A very relevant vehicle not just in its own segment, but also to make it our outright ET ZigWheels Car of The Year.

Premium Compact Sedan

Skoda Rapid

A smart exercise in badge engineering, the Rapid came through some seriously stiff competition to top its own segment with grace and pride.

Premium SUV

BMW X1

Creating an all-new point of entry for those aspiring to buy into a German luxury car brand family, the X1 is one of the most critical vehicles in its segment. Managing to retain the BMW genes despite its price point, it wooed the jury all-round.

Entry-level Hatchback

Hyundai Eon

Affordable sensibility with a contemporary and stylish package, the Eon comes as a breath of fresh air in its segment. Being the sole launch, it was the default winner in its class, but the fact that it tied for second place in our points scoring goes a long way in proving its promise.

CBU Sport & Sport Sedan

Aston Martin Rapide

A genuine sportscar posing as a four-door luxury sedan, the Rapide brings a big dose of class, style and pace to India and takes our vote as winner in its class.

Premium Hatchback

Honda Brio

Another car that not just powered through its own segment, but also became one of the strongest contenders for the outright Car of the Year Award was Honda’s baby. Offering superior levels of refinement and comfort, what sealed the vote in the Brio’s favour was sensible pricing, and very good value for money.

SEGMENT RIVALS

Premium Hatchback

Toyota ETIOS LIVA

The Etios Liva is a big car in a small package, coupled with legendary Toyota reliability and quality. Good levels of sensibility and refinement stood it in good stead, but it all boiled down to value for money.

Maruti Suzuki Swift

The new Swift came in with a bang this year, and with a lot riding on it. Again a very competent product, it lost out only because it did not push the envelope, unlike its rivals.

Entry-Level Compact Sedan

Toyota Etios

It was a tight mash-up between the Etios and the Sunny in this segment, and the team was divided on deciding the segment winner. The Etios missed out by a whisker since it showed its cost-cuts a little more than the Sunny.

Premium Compact Sedan

New Hyundai VERNA

Extremely competent vehicle with some great engine options and avantgarde styling, the new Verna made life difficult for rivals in its segment.

New Ford Fiesta

Distinctive design, great dynamics and innovative features put the new Fiesta ahead, but the pricing put the car a few steps back in its class.

Premium Mid-Size Sedan

Volkswagen Jetta

The grown up looks of the new Jetta found favour amongst the jury, but were found to be a bit drab.

Maruti Suzuki Kizashi

Maruti’s flagship sedan showed great driving manners, but lost out due to its CBU pricing.

SUV of the year

Mahindra THAR

The rough and tough mountain goat has all the makings of a cult vehicle, but couldn’t shine through its stablemate’s techno-wizardry.

Force One by Force Motors

A competent new entrant in its segment, the Force One starts a new chapter for its maker. Great things are destined for it, but in the future!

Premium SUV of the year

Renault Koleos

Smart and sensible, the Koleos couldn’t go through since it did not manage to do enough to shake its segment up, which has some very competent incumbents.

BMW X3

Sharper and snazzier, the new X3 goes further down the soft-roader path. Built more for the blacktop than off-road, it did not do much for its own segment either.

Car of the Year : Mahindra XUV5OO >>

Bike of the Year : Hero Impulse >>

Bike of the Year : Class Winners >>

Car of the Year : Class Winners >>

Editor's Note >>

Special Awards >>

Gallery : 2011 ZW Car&Bike of the Year