Maruti Ertiga, Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 the big winners at Autocar India Awards 2019

The Autocar India Awards 2019 – the automotive Oscars of India – held at the Taj Lands End in Mumbai yesterday, rewarded the movers and shakers of the Indian automobile industry.

A strong turnout comprising the who's who of the Indian automotive industry saw the second-generation Maruti Ertiga MPV and the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 win the top accolades even as other products launched in 2018 made their presence felt. While the Ertiga drove away with the ‘Car of the Year’ award, the Interceptor 650 bagged the ‘Bike of the Year’ award.

It was a red-letter day for the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga as it picked up two more awards – ‘MPV of the Year’ and ‘Value for Money Car of the Year’. The Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 was also the pick of the audience, winning the ‘Viewer’s Choice Bike of the Year’.  

While the ‘Performance Car of the Year’ award went to the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S, the ‘Performance Bike of the Year’ was clinched by the Suzuki GSX-S750. The Lamborghini Urus took home the ‘Performance SUV of the Year’ award.

The jury picked Tata Motors as the Manufacturer of the Year, and Mahindra & Mahindra’s new 1.5-litre, four-cylinder D15 diesel engine – which debuted on the recently launched Marazzo MPV – was declared ‘Engine of the Year’. Mahindra’s new MPV was also the recipient of the ‘Viewer’s Choice Car of the Year’ award.

Adding another feather in Mahindra’s cap is its new flagship SUV, the Alturas G4, which won the ‘Premium SUV of the Year’ award. The Volvo XC40 took home the ‘Compact Luxury SUV’ award. Moving up the ladder, the BMW X3 was voted the ‘Mid-size Luxury SUV of the Year’, and the Porsche Cayenne the ‘Luxury SUV of the Year’.

As for budget cars, the Honda Amaze clinched the ‘Family Car of the Year’ award while the Hyundai Santro was adjudged ‘Hatchback of the Year’. Ford India’s Freestyle, the Figo-based crossover, was the deserving recipient of the ‘Variant of the Year’ award.

On the two-wheeler front, the popular TVS NTorq 125 won the ‘Scooter of the Year’ title. The ‘Import Bike of the Year’ title went to the Ducati Panigale V4 and the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy received the ‘Premium Bike of the Year’ award.