Every year, we look forward to the time when we sit down and take a good look at all the four and two-wheelers that were launched (and that we actually reviewed) in the previous year. It’s an entertaining exercise, and something that leads to much discussion, argument, and hilarity — we like to call this our Jury Round. At the end, we’re left with a select set of the very best automotive products — the ones making up the Motoring World Awards. Here, then, are our winners for 2022!
Hatchback of the Year
MUV of the Year
Compact SUV of the Year
SUV of the Year
Premium SUV of the Year
Luxury SUV of the Year
Premium Car of the Year
Luxury Car of the Year
Performance Car of the Year
Design of the Year
EV of the Year
Car of the Year
Manufacturer of the Year
Hatchback of the Year
Maruti Suzuki knows small cars inside and out, and has the uncanny knack of making ones that tick lots of boxes. The Celerio is just one such car.
MUV of the Year
The Korean firm didn’t have a 7-seater at the mid-to-upper end of the scale, and when they did make one, they got it just right. The Alcazar is a pleasure to drive, sit in and own. Another worthy winner.
Compact SUV of the Year
Tata Motors was in the headlines for various reasons this year (2nd largest manufacturer in India, anyone?), and the Punch was one of them. The way it pulls off great design, safety, features and ease-of-use is worthy of the highest praise.
SUV of the Year
It helps that the Taigun looks like Robocop from the rear, but that isn’t its only standout feature. It’s a looker all round, built tough and a hoot to drive no matter what engine you choose. The #SUVW game is strong with this one.
Premium SUV of the Year
Citroën had to come into India with all guns blazing to make an impact, and it’s certainly done so with the C5 Aircross. It looks fantastic (and unique), rides like a dream and is equally nice to drive — full marks.
Luxury SUV of the Year
When you take an already sumptuous luxury SUV and turn it into a presidential suite on wheels, the result is the Maybach GLS. There isn’t another SUV for the price that will make you feel like a head of state, a captain of industry and a movie star, all rolled into one.
Premium Car of the Year
Full confession: we’ve always been fans of the Octie since the day it was first launched in India, and each iteration just seems to get better and better. The Octavia offers a peerless mix of looks, comfort, driving pleasure and build quality in this segment, which is why it’s a winner.
Luxury Car of the Year
There really isn’t much left to say about the ‘best car in the world’, other than the fact that nobody has been able to match it, let alone better it. The new S-Class is astonishingly good in every conceivable way, and is a no-brainer in this category.
Performance Car of the Year
It may not have the looks, engine or soundtrack of a supercar, but the M340i is an absolutely brilliant performance car for the money — taut, sharp, involving and comfortable on top of all that. This is pretty much all the performance sedan you’ll ever need.
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Design of the Year
The big cat is the most striking piece of design we’ve seen in a while, which is saying something given the smorgasbord of eye-catchers out there. It manages to look fast, muscular, sophisticated and accessible all at once, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s brilliant to drive as well.
EV of the Year
If there’s one car we drove in the past year that absolutely blew every myth about EVs away, it was this go-faster grin-fest from the house of the four rings. Million-dollar looks, blistering performance and eco-friendliness as well? Yes, please — and we’ll have seconds.
Car of the Year
Honestly, we thought the XUV700 would be good — but not this eyebrow-raisingly, satisfyingly, pulse-quickeningly good. It’s a matter of great pride that an Indian manufacturer has designed and built a world-class (and safe) product, and we look forward to future offerings from Mahindra. If they’re even close to the XUV700, they’ll be brilliant. Brava!
Manufacturer of the Year
The second-biggest car maker in India. A staggering share of India’s passenger EV car market. Funky designs, top-notch safety ratings and fun-to-drive products. We could go on, but based on these factors alone, we’re happy to award this gong to Tata Motors, and to wish them every success here on in.
