Michael Lohscheller, OPEL CEO, becomes member of `MANBEST` Hall of Fame
Geely Automotive Group, voted `COMPANYBEST 2019`
Nissan Juke, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, Skoda Kamiq are the finalists for the European AUTOBEST 2020. These cars will compete for the prize of ‘Best Buy Car of Europe in 2020’. The jury of 31 members will make their final assessments and cast their votes in the upcom-ing weeks, with the winner announced in mid-December.
“At AUTOBEST, we are closely following the trends in the industry, and we continuously learn from European consumers what they are looking for when buying new cars. We believe the Final 5 of this edition is an expression of these trends, from electrification process to the new financ-ing options”, said Dan Vardie, Founder and Chairman of AUTOBEST organisation.
AUTOBEST is releasing the logo of ‘European AUTOBEST 2020 Finalist’. The five manufacturers can use the logo in all of their communication and promotion campaigns in the lead-up to the an-nouncement of the AUTOBEST 2020 winner.
On November 27th & 28th, the European AUTOBEST Jury will go to Intercity Istanbul Park Formula One circuit for the Final Test. “This year we chose the famous F1 circuit near Istanbul. We will perform the best on-track and on-road tests, using a world-class testing facility and high-ly qualified specialists”, stated Ilia Seliktar, Co-Founder and President of the AUTOBEST Jury.
‘MANBEST 2019’ award, the leading Hall of Fame dedicated to the best managers we have in the industry, goes to Michael Lohscheller, CEO of OPEL. “In a time when Opel was searching for the path to success, Michael Lohscheller was the right man, at the right time, with the right vision and strategy to push the German carmaker into a new era of success. Michael Lohscheller is the first European CEO of Opel who has successfully driven the company to profit after almost two decades”, said AUTOBEST Chairman Dan Vardie.
As a confirmation of his success, in 2019 he was appointed as a member of the Managing Board of Group PSA.
This year’s ‘COMPANYBEST’ award goes to Geely Auto Group. Have no doubt –, Geely is the fastest growing automotive company in the world in an industry renowned for being extremely competitive and tough and this is a huge achievement for a company founded in 1986 by the visionary Chairman Li Shu Fu. Today, Geely owns car brands like Lotus, Volvo, Lynk & Co, LEVC just to name few of them and 9,6 % shares of the German icon Daimler AG. Geely is pioneering new EV brands and mobility solutions. Geely is a great example of what success means in a today disruptive world.
`SPORTBEST 2019` goes to F1 legend, Niki Lauda. “Widely considered one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, Niki Lauda was a three-time F1 World Drivers’ Champion, winning in 1975, 1977 and 1984. He was the only driver in F1 history to have been champion for both Ferrari and McLaren, the sport’s two most successful constructors. Following his retirement from racing, he became a prominent figure in Formula One, working as a consultant first for Scuderia Ferrari, then as team principal for Jaguar Formula One team and non-executive chairman for Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team. His entire life was dedicated to engineering progress that changed Formula 1 in a way that defines what the competition is today. For that, in 2019, the year of his death at the age of 70, we pay tribute to Niki is as the SPORTBEST by AUTOBEST winner”, said Gerhard Kuntschik, distinguished AUTOBEST Jury member representing Austria, and one of the most experienced European Motorsports journalists. This is the first time in AUOTBEST’s 19 year history that the jury has decided to present an award posthumously.
The prestigious `SAFETYBEST 2019` award goes to Jaguar Land Rover’s ClearSight Rear View Mirror and ClearSight Ground View technologies. Jaguar Land Rover has introduced these revolutionary technologies to help raise the levels of safety for driver and occupants alike. These crucial technical advancements provide real customer benefits. The digital ‘rear view mirror’ redefines the concept of the mirror that has remained almost unchanged since its introduction in 1921. ClearSight Ground View is a world first, making real the otherwise impossible idea of a transparent bonnet, opening new frontiers for safety both on and off-road.
The remaining awards DESIGNBEST, TECHNOBEST, SMARTBEST, ECOBEST will be an-nounced at a later date in conjunction with the ‘AUTOBEST 2020’ winner.
AUTOBEST Jury members represent 31 European countries, making it the largest Independent Motoring Jury in the world by the number of represented countries. AUTOBEST Jury pays close attention to the efforts the automotive industry is making. Investments, new automotive job opportunities for people, funds for green cars and technologies, the support for different regions of Europe are all carefully checked and appreciated by the Jury. New in-car technologies and connectivity are also under the scrutiny of the Jury. In total, we dedicate eight awards to these achievements in the following categories; MANBEST, COMPANYBEST, ECOBEST, DESIGNBEST, TECHNOBEST, SAFETYBEST, SMARTBEST and SPORTBEST. Today AUTOBEST is releasing the first four. We will issue a communication concerning the remaining award winners at a later date.
The 19th awards ceremony will take place in Mainz – Germany on February 13th, 2020. Every year the AUTOBEST Awards Gala brings together the top executives of various companies. Therefore, it has become one of the only annual European events where competitors gather at the same table with great pleasure. The AUTOBEST Awards Gala has evolved in the last 19 years from a distinguished dinner in a five-star location to a European Gala with world-class artistic content, gourmet menu and a unique Grand Finale for the AUTOBEST Award. The 2019 Awards Gala was held in Brussels – Belgium. More info on www.autobest.org
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About AUTOBEST
The AUTOBEST organisation was created in 2001 with the revolutionary concept of “best buy car” available on the European market. For a car to become an AUTOBEST winner, it must represent the best offer for most European customers. Price, service network, spare parts distribution and versatility are the most important criteria in the voting process. Design and new technologies are also becoming a more critical factor for voting. AUTOBEST uses a transparent voting system, with a complex matrix of 13 criteria to decide the winner.
Contact:
Larisa Gîrbacea,
PR Director AUTOBEST
pr@autobest.org
