Autocar India has joined hands with CNBC India to launch the CNBC-Autocar awards. The ‘Car of the Year’ and awards in other categories will become an annual feature to pay tribute to the best cars launched in the Indian market.

IT’S THE best of the best, cars that have impressed us the most over the past year, the one that stands out above the rest. It’s the new benchmark against which all others in its class are judged. It’s the one we relish driving, the one that changes the rules of the game, forcing the opposition to give more. This will be the ‘Car of the Year’.

Choosing the best car in the market is no easy task. Cars these days are getting better and better. For the consumer, it means more difficult choices. Which is why we’ve devised the Car of the Year awards, to select the best and help the car buyer make up his mind. This is to become an annual feature to announce one main winner and several category winners for that particular year.

We feel we are best placed to pass judgement on any car in the market because we’ve tested all of them over thousands of kilometres. We’ve driven them in town, up and down the highway, on good and bad roads, and sometimes on no roads at all. We’ve loaded them with people and luggage and examined every ownership detail.

The fact is, no one tests cars the way we do. Highly sophisticated instrumentation and test procedures are used to conduct these tests which are done on a neutral proving ground. On an average, Autocar India tests cars for over 1500km under all types of conditions and on different roads, before coming to any conclusion. State-of-the-art equipment is used to measure acceleration, braking and top speed. Apart from this, tests on air-conditioning performance, noise levels, fuel efficiency, handling, and comfort are carried out. Autocar India has an exclusive tie-up with J.D. Power and Associates and hence has access to data for five years of customer satisfaction and car quality.

Our tie-up with the leading TV business channel, CNBC India, will give us the advantage of its content development capabilities in electronic media. Through CNBC our results will reach millions of potential car buyers in over 12 million households across the country.

ELIGIBILITY
Any new car launched in the previous 12 months before December 20, 2001 is eligible for the 2002 ‘Car of the Year’ award. These must essentially be new models and not just upgraded ones. New body styles on the same platform, however, are considered new models as these may fall in a different segment and appeal to a different set of car buyers. Vehicles from the passenger car segment, including minivans and multi-utility-vehicles would only be eligible for the award.

METHODOLOGY
The object of the award is to find a single, decisive winner. The voting process is designed for that purpose and not to provide a scale of merit of the competing cars.

A jury consisting of a minimum of five persons will be constituted. Each jury member will be an expert in the field of evaluating cars and have a fair amount of experience driving a wide range of vehicles (see panel). The jury will be assisted by objective test data and analysis of Autocar India which has exhaustively tested all contestants.

SCORING SYSTEM
The jurists will rate the contestants on a scale of 1 to 10 on the 10 parameters given below. They will assess the vehicles individually, but rank them in relation to their market rivals. The final score will be upon 100 - an average of the total points of all jury members. The car with the maximum points will be judged the winner.

PARAMETERS
Fitness for purpose This is the most important criterion and essentially examines how well the car does the job it was made for and if it would live up to the expectation of its owners.

• Relevance to the Indian market Is the car right for the majority of Indian consumers and would it have mass appeal?
• Value for money This doesn’t mean the cheapest car but how much car you get for your money.
• Design and styling A subjective rating on the car’s looks and aesthetics, an important consideration in a purchase decision.
• Interiors Parameters like space, comfort, ergonomics, and the overall quality and design will be evaluated.
• Engine, gearbox, performance Factors like engine noise, smoothness, response, driveability, acceleration, gearshift and choice of gear ratios will be rated.
• Ride, handling, brakes The dynamic behaviour of a car will be assessed at various speeds in terms of steering feel and response, agility in the city, stability, ride comfort and effectiveness of the brakes.
• Driving pleasure Cars today are expected to be more than mere transport. How enjoyable the driving experience is, is now crucial.
• Fuel efficiency Based on fuel consumption figures in the city and highway cycles.
• Ownership experience This parameter looks at the post-purchase considerations such as warranties, quality of aftersales service and spare parts prices.

OTHER CATEGORIES
In addition to the ‘Car of the Year’, there will also be awards for specific categories. For year 2002 they are as follows:

• Best value for money car This will evaluate the cars that give you the most value for your money. The results are aimed at informing the consumer about the best deals on wheels.
• Most technologically advanced car This is to inform the consumer which companies are bringing the latest technology to the market.
• Best design and styling Looks and styling play a critical role in a purchasing decision.
• Manufacturer of the year The company that has performed best in terms of products, sales, market share and profitability.
• Most improved car of the year The car whose sales have substantially increased and an improvement in product quality (as rated by J.D. Power studies).
• Best driver’s car This looks at the car which is the most enjoyable to drive.

The winners of the above awards will be announced on January 14, 2002 on the CNBC India channel and in the next issue of Autocar India, which will carry a full story on the awards. Look out for the winners of the automotive Oscars.