It was that time of the year again when WhatCar? Car of the year awards rolls into town. The 40th annual awards held at London’s Park Lane honours the highest performing vehicles which adhere to strict performance criteria.
It was BMW 5 Series that collected the honour of being named the WhatCar? Car of the year at the 2017 awards, fighting off fierce competition from Skoda Kodiaq and Seat Ateca.
The 5-Series also collected the award of Luxury Car of the Year, fending off tough competition from it’s German rival Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce.
BMW Brand senior vice-president Hildegard Wortmann who collected the Car of the Year Award on behalf of BMW said: “For the BMW 5 Series to win the prestigious ‘Car of the Year’ award is an honour and testament to the hard work that goes into producing one of BMW’s core models. The BMW 5 Series is a brand-shaping saloon and in times of rapid change within the automotive industry we believe the seventh generation model points the way into the future. It is a truly outstanding car and I am very grateful to What Car? for this great recognition.”
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford added: “The BMW 5 Series is no stranger to success at the What Car? Awards; it’s something of a dynasty that has always stood for excellence, but the latest model moves things on again in all the areas that matter most to buyers.”
There was wins for Audi in the executive car category as it edged ahead of the Audi A3 and Skoda Superb with the A4 saloon. The iconic brand wasn’t finished yet as it collected further awards in the family car category with Audi A3 Sportback, Luxury SUV with the Q7 and Coupe of the Year with the Audi TT for the third time in three years.
Other notable winners included SEAT Ateca which took the crown of WhatCar? Small SUV of the year and dethroned Nissan Qashqai. While Skoda Superb retained the titled of estate car of the year thanks to an excellent mix of practicality, performance, space, comfort and affordability.
Jaugar I-Pace and Lexus LC 500 were both up for the Reader award; however were pipped to the Honda Civic Type R, the 10th generation of the car will go up against the likes of Volkswagen Golf R, Renault Mégane RS, BMW M140i and Ford Focus RS.
Steve Huntingford , editor at WhatCar? added “While the 5 Series is a tour de force, though, the list of category winners demonstrates that an outstanding car has never been more accessible. For those looking to change their car in 2017, they need look no further than the What Car? Car of the Year winners.”
For more information on any of the cars listed above, drop into one of our 160 dealerships throughout the country or visit us online.