Contenders for new style Semperit Irish Car of the Year 2009

The list of candidates for the 2009 Semperit Irish Car of the Year awards has been announced by the Irish Motoring Writers Association.

The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on Friday November 21.

The awards, which are adjudicated by the Irish Motoring Writers Association – the body that represents the majority of motoring journalists in Ireland – will feature five category winners and one overall Semperit Irish Car of the Year title winner. This new process represents the biggest shake up in the award’s 30 year history.

The new category awards are as follows:

• Semperit Irish Small Car of the Year

• Semperit Irish Family Car of the Year

• Semperit Irish MPV of the Year

• Semperit Irish Luxury / Sport Car of the Year

• Semperit Irish SUV / Crossover of the Year

The overall Semperit Irish Car of the Year winner will be selected from the winners of the five category awards.

Tony Toner, chairman of the IMWA, said: “In comparison to 30 years ago, today’s car market has a much wider array of cars that appeal to the vast range of today’s motorists’ needs. It was clear that in this fragmented market, there are several niche categories that would be very unlikely to provide a vehicle to claim the Semperit Irish Car of the Year title. For this reason, we have decided on this change to the awards in an effort to highlight the best vehicles in a number of categories that will best meet the widely varied needs of Irish motorists.”

On behalf of sponsor, Semperit Ireland, Paddy Murphy commented: “The introduction of category awards is a great innovation and will widen the appeal of the Semperit Irish Car of the Year awards. The members of the IMWA provide a valuable service to Irish motorists trying to navigate the dizzying array of choices that confront them when they decide to change their cars. In today’s economic environment, any prospective car buyer would be well advised to take note of the verdict of the IMWA jurors.”

The candidates for the Semperit Irish Car of the Year 2009 in each category are as follows:

Semperit Irish Small Car of the Year

Chevrolet Aveo Hatch

Fiat 500

Ford Fiesta

Hyundai i10

Mini Clubman

Opel Agila

Seat Ibiza

Semperit Irish Family Car of the Year

Audi A4

BMW 3 Series

Chrysler Sebring

Citroen C5

Mitsubishi Lancer

Skoda Superb

Suzuki Splash

Semperit Irish MPV of the Year

Citroen Berlingo Multi

Hyundai Montana

Peugeot Expert Teepee

Renault Grand Modus

Fiat Firoino Qubo

Semperit Irish SUV / Crossover of the Year

BMW X6

Ford Kuga

Jeep Patriot

Renault Koleos

SsangYong Kyron

Subaru Forester

Volkswagen Tiguan

Volvo XC60

Semperit Irish Luxury/Sport Car of the Year

Audi A8

Audi A3 Cabrio

Audi A6 RS

Audi R8

BMW 1 Series Cabrio

BMW 7 Series

Jaguar XF

Volkswagen Passat CC

Volkswagen Scirocco

A shortlist of two vehicles per category will be announced in the coming weeks.

Last year the Semperit Irish Car of the Year title went to the Ford Mondeo while the van accolade was won by the Fiat Scudo.

 

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