Honda drives away with most Autocar awards

05 January 2007

In its sixth year, the CNBC-TV18 Autocar Auto Awards have become an important event for the automobile industry. Honda Civic and Bajaj Pulsar bagged the top honours. CNBC-TV18 reports.

Last year market leader Maruti won the maximum number of prizes at the awards night. But this time around, it was Honda who stole the show. It was adjudged as the ''manufacturer of the year'' for a second successive year and its new CR-V was voted ''best driver''s car''.

But the crowning glory came with its Civic driving away with the ''viewers choice award'' and the top honour ''car of the year'' awards. The Civic beat its closest rival the Hyundai Verna by 81 points.

But Honda was not the only one with multiple awards. DaimlerChrysler, represented by a delegation including parent company board member Thomas Weber, won three categories. Its new S-class was adjudged the most technologically advanced car, while its E-280 won the ''best variant of the year award'' and Mercedes Benz was also the ''CEOs'' most preferred car'', which was a new category.

Another German brand, Audi, too had reason to cheer after its first SUV-Q7, won the ''best imported car award.'' And so did Hyundai. Its Verna bagged the award for the ''car with the best value for money'' award. And the new Toyota Camry''s radical design and styling won it a ''best design and styling'' prize. The ''storyboard commercial of the year'' went to both Tata Indica Xeta and Tata Safari. Speaking on the sidelines of the Auto Car Awards, Maruti MD, Jagdish Khattar said that the company is expecting double-digit growth this year.

On a query regarding raw material impact on margins and product price hikes, Khattar said, ''We have finalised contracts for the new year and I find there has been substantial increase as far as prices are concerned but simultaneously we are also making every effort to cut down costs but the cutting down of our costs has not given as much as we wanted. So I think some input cost will go up, part of which has to be passed on to the customer.''