The SEAT Ateca has been voted “AUTOBEST 2017”, the European accolade for `The Best Buy Car of Europe in 2017`. With a total of 1,672 points, the Ateca clinched first place by a comfortable 72 points over the Peugeot 3008. The Toyota C-HR came in third place with a total of 1,469 points. The Citroen C3 and Kia Niro followed in the overall rankings.
“This was a very close competition, and voting from 31 Jury members from as many European countries is a first for AUTOBEST. The SEAT Ateca convinced the Jury members in all respects giving it the lead in the overall points in the ranking. The Ateca is a very convincing expression of SEAT’s `Created in Barcelona` concept, a new brand philosophy pioneered by the Spanish producer. On behalf of the Jury members and myself, I would like to congratulate all the people involved in the project. It is also my pleasure to welcome SEAT for its first victory in AUTOBEST history.” Ilia Seliktar, AUTOBEST Jury President, said.
“For the first time, 4 out of 5 of the finalists were SUV/Crossovers. This is a clear sign on the way AUTOBEST Jury is reflecting the changes in the landscape of the European market. In addition to this, two of the finalists are with hybrid technology. This is also a first for AUTOBEST. But is in line with the `time frame window` opening now for the hybrid technologies. We believe, due to the troubles diesel technology is encountering more and more in many European markets, Hybrid technologies are in the position to take over the place left by diesel.” said Dan Vardie, AUTOBEST Founder & Chairman.
AUTOBEST Jury has recently expanded to 31 members, with five new countries represented: Denmark, Germany, Finland, Malta and Switzerland. On 29 September 2016, the independent motoring AUTOBEST Jury became – by the countries represented – the largest one in the world.
“SMARTBEST 2016” is awarded to Peugeot i-Cockpit®. The Peugeot 3008 SUV presents a 100% digital world with its new Peugeot i-Cockpit®. The 12.3-inch customisable digital display supported by a free-standing 8-inch touchscreen, compact steering wheel with built-in controls and electrical automatic gearbox control, all designed to amplify the driving experience.
The “SAFETYBEST 2016” award goes to the EURO NCAP organisation. The award is a recognition for the outstanding activity of a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to safety. It recognises the way EURO NCAP has managed to maintain the relevance of its crash tests over time, evolving with the latest developments and technologies in the field of safety.
Alejandro Agag, the CEO of Formula E Holdings is the winner of “SPORTBEST 2016”. In a period when electric vehicles started to become more relevant in different markets, a motorsport competition exclusively dedicated to electric performance was a natural development. But is the merit of Agag for the success of the Formula E Series. He has been instrumental in making this series relevant in the world of motorsport, where the smell of gasoline and earsplitting engine noise was mandatory before. Formula E cars may be quieter, but the competition is no less exciting.
This year the AUTOBEST Jury decided not to grant the “TECHNOBEST” award.
`COMPANYBEST”, “MANBEST” “DESIGNBEST” and “ECOBEST” awards have already been announced after Paris Mondial de L’Automobil. (please see www.autobest.org). The 16th AUTOBEST Awards Festivity will take place 1 February 2017, in Lisbon, Portugal. Following the tradition, the AUTOBEST International Jury present the awards in a different country each year. 2017 will be the first Gala since the latest European expansion of AUTOBEST Jury announced in September in Paris on the eve of Mondial Salon Auto. The previous AUTOBEST Gala was held in Milan, Italy.
The European AUTOBEST Jury thanks the readers from all Europe for encouraging the project and the PR responsible in the automotive industry for providing all the support in organising meetings and drive tests of the new products.
ENDS
About AUTOBEST
The AUTOBEST organisation was established in 2001 with the revolutionary concept of “best buy car” available on the European market. A total of 31 European nations is now represented in the Jury, covering the vast majority of the European population. For a car to become an AUTOBEST winner, it must represent the best offering 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 becoming important criteria for voting. AUTOBEST uses a transparent voting system, with a complex matrix of 13 criteria to decide the winner.
