The winners of the coveted 18th Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY), 16th Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY), 5th Premium Car Award by ICOTY and the 3rd Green Car Award by ICOTY were announced in Delhi on 12th January.
The ICOTY awards held under the aegis of the Automotive Journalists Association of India (AJAI) are the most coveted automotive awards in the country and are often referred to as the Oscars of Indian automotive industry. The award is an expert and independent judgment of the best new car. The highly experienced jury members are responsible for selecting a single decisive winner, and the criteria like price, fuel-efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money, and suitability for Indian driving conditions are particularly important factors that are considered while deciding on the winner.
The 2023 ICOTY is the Kia Carens, while the 2023 IMOTY crown was given to the Royal Enfield Hunter. Mercedes-Benz took the Premium Car Award for its EQS 580, while the Kia EV6 was declared the 2023 Green Car of the Year.
The Kia Carens had competition from the likes of the Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Urban Cruiser HyRyder, Mahindra Scorpio-N, Maruti Suzuki Brezza and Grand Vitara, Skoda Slavia, Volkswagen Virtus and Citroen C3. These were the finalists that the jury shortlisted and picked from, and the Carens fought them all off.
For the 2023 IMOTY crown, the Royal Enfield Hunter faced off against the TVS Ronin, KTM RC 390, Bajaj Pulsar N160, Yezdi Adventure and Yezdi Scrambler, Suzuki V-Strom SX, Honda CB300F, Triumph Tiger 660 and the BMW G 310 RR.
Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited, said, ‘I would like to congratulate all the winners for making the best in the segment and honouring the excellence in the automotive industry. ICOTY and IMOTY are the most integral part of the Indian auto industry as they bring innovation to the industry. The foundation of JK Tyre stands for innovation, development, growth, technology, and transparency and these awards are the testimony of brilliance. I am sure it has been a rewarding and successful journey for everyone and this will continue to be so for years ahead. These awards motivate us all to come together and make the Indian Auto Industry renowned globally.’
The ICOTY and IMOTY awards were instituted in 2005 and 2007 respectively, and are among the top 5 automotive awards in the world. They are adjudged by a jury of experts from India’s best automobile media and are by far the most coveted automobile awards in the country. These awards have been sponsored by JK Tyre ever since their inception.
