BusinessCar awards its car of the year title to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.

BusinessCar Magazine’s 2015 Car of the Year is the Mercedes-Benz C-class.

The fleet publication’s awards carry particular weight because they are the only accolades in the industry to be decided entirely by the readership of BusinessCar magazine and BusinessCar.co.uk, and the C-class took the top spot ahead of Peugeot’s impressive new 308.

BMW continued to show its strength in the fleet market by taking two headline awards, including Manufacturer of the Year for the fifth year running and Green Model of the Year with its pioneering i3 electric supermini.

Leasing company Alphabet took the remaining headline award as Service Supplier of the Year.

“The new C-class has propelled Mercedes-Benz into the middle of the fiercely competitive premium upper medium saloon marketplace and massive improvements over the previous model have meant the company has picked up its first ever Business Car of the Year prize,” said Paul Barker, BusinessCar editor.

“The C-class currently offers the most efficient diesel in the sector and there’s also a 94g/km hybrid, plus the 48g/km plug-in coming in April 2015.

“But there’s more to the C-class than just efficiency gains. The classier and more sporty looks combine with a serious focus on whole life costs to propel the new model into fleet heartland territory.”

Barker continued: “BMW’s popularity with the fleet industry is clearly demonstrated with its win as Manufacturer of the Year and this is backed up by four car category wins overall.  It highlights BMW as a brand getting it right for fleet across its range, with cars that are appealing, good to drive and great value to run.

“The corporate market is extremely competitive with some incredible products available to help businesses carry out their work. Winners at this year’s awards should be proud that BusinessCar’s readers have picked them out as the best in the industry.”

Other notable winners include The AA, which picked up three awards in the important Accident Management, Risk Management and Vehicle Recovery categories. Volkswagen also picked up multiple awards with wins in the mainstream lower medium, mini-MPV and mainstream 4x4 categories for its Golf, Touran and Tiguan respectively, while Ford, Vauxhall, Hyundai, Kwik-Fit and BCA were also among the winners.

BusinessCar awards Volkswagen a trio of awards for 2015.

Volkswagen has boosted its 2015 trophy tally and added three new car of the year titles to its name, courtesy of fleet publication and website, BusinessCar.  The Golf retained its Best Mainstream Lower Medium crown, having won the same award in 2014, while the Touran and Tiguan won the Mini-MPV and Mainstream Small Off-roader categories respectively.  The Polo also fared well, being Highly Commended in the hotly competed Mainstream Supermini sector.

The BusinessCar awards are the only accolades voted for entirely by the readership of BusinessCar magazine and www.businesscar.co.uk, and hence the results reflect the views of fleet managers and drivers, and recognise the products and services that best meet the needs of their operations.

Commenting on Volkswagen’s successes, Paul Barker, editor of BusinessCar, said: ‘A trio of reader-voted BusinessCar Awards shows how highly rated Volkswagen is among corporate users who need vehicles that can combine great running costs and practicality with car park appeal.  

The Golf is the ultimate attainable premium model, while victories for the Touran and Tiguan, as well as the highly commended status of the Polo, highlight the appeal of the Volkswagen brand has across the line-up.’

Volkswagen’s Head of Fleet, Michael O’Shea, added: ‘We have one of the widest ranges of cars of any vehicle manufacturer, meaning there’s a Volkswagen to suit virtually every fleet need and taste.  That the Golf, Tiguan, Polo and Touran have all been recognised by BusinessCar is testament to this. 

‘Arguably more important, however,’ he continued, ‘is the fact that these awards are voted for by the readers of BusinessCar – and that means they’re also testament to the service and back-up we provide through our fleet teams and our Network Business Partners.  We’re delighted to have been honoured in this way and believe the new Passat which went on sale this month will continue our winning streak in the BusinessCar awards.’

BusinessCar magazine and website readers vote Hyundai's ix35 as 'Best Crossover'

• BusinessCar magazine and website readers vote Hyundai's ix35 as 'Best Crossover' in the title's 2015 awards
• Voters praise its all-round appeal including value and versatility, specifications and style, and low running costs plus tax efficiency
• Hyundai's industry-leading five-year/unlimited mileage warranty gets yet another awards namecheck –crucial in the highly competitive fleet sector

Hyundai's stylish and versatile ix35 has what it takes to bear heavy usage, high mileages and the close scrutiny of company accountants, according to readers of the BusinessCar magazine and website - who voted the car 'Best Crossover' in the prestigious 2015 BusinessCar Awards.

“ix35 illustrates the great leaps Hyundai has made in terms of product appeal, quality, value and design, and shows that the brand is now a mainstream choice,” said BusinessCar Editor Paul Barker. “These awards are selected by the readers of BusinessCar, and they obviously appreciate the talents of a company that is on the up and can match the more established business car players for efficiency, satisfaction and operating costs.”

BusinessCar readers praised the ix35’s value and generous specification levels, good powertrains and refinement. Voters considered the choice of front-wheel drive or 4x4 an important differentiator, while overall levels of interior and exterior quality played on the style-conscious user-chooser market.

Crucially for the fleet market, the ix35’s low running costs and tax efficiencies made the car affordable under company car tax rules. While operational cost efficiencies - impressive residuals, durability and Hyundai’s reassuring five-year/unlimited warranty – keeping finance-focused fleet managers happy.

A delighted Martin Wilson, Fleet Director, Hyundai Motor UK said: "The ix35 has been a multiple award-winning star car for us, and has proved to be a vital part of our modern, capable range that has revolutionisedour fleet customer perception in the UK.

"This latest award is all the more valuable to us as it comes direct from people who know which cars can cope with being pushed to their limits, and yet still be attractive financially to companies and the end user."

Iconic Ferrari's to attend Performance Car Show.

A pair of Ferraris born a generation apart, the LaFerrari hypercar and legendary F40 will be in the spotlight when the Performance Car Show brings the best of the motoring world to Birmingham next month.

On 8-11 January*, supercars, high-performance favourites and classics will come together at the NEC, with the LaFerrari to appear in the Performance Car Show presented by Landsail Tyres in association with Autocar and PistonHeads.com. The F40, meanwhile, headlines a display of wild road cars presented by Classic & Sports Car magazine within Europe’s largest motorsport show, Autosport International.

With only 499 to be produced, all priced at over £1 million and packed with F1-derived technology, the hybrid LaFerrari combines a V12 engine with a Kinetic Energy Recovery System to produce 950 bhp.

Accelerating from 0-124mph in less than seven seconds and weighing 1,255kg including a chassis made from four different types of carbon fibre, it’s the fastest road-going Ferrari around the marque’s test track at Fiorano, three seconds faster than the F12berlinetta.

The masterpiece will be parked outside the new Pie and Piston Pub by PistonHeads.com for enthusiasts to admire while catching up with the team behind the popular website.

“Ferrari holds a truly special place within the world of motoring. Its heritage is legendary and passion unrivalled, and continues to create amazing, sector-defining models,” said Ian France, Performance Car Show Director.

“The LaFerrari is the latest in Ferrari’s long line of phenomenal supercars, which of course includes the ground-breaking F40. We’re excited about bringing these two icons of motoring to the NEC for enthusiasts to enjoy.”

The Ferrari F40 will be displayed on a new, 14-car ‘Track Icons and Wild Road Cars’ historics feature presented by Classic & Sports Car and Silverstone Classic, within Autosport International.

Considered one of the greatest supercars ever made, the F40 was developed to celebrate Ferrari’s 40^thanniversary, and the last model personally approved by Enzo Ferrari before the founder’s death in 1988.

Powered by a twin-turbo V8 producing 471hp, the lightweight, mid-engined creation covers 0-62mph in 3.8 seconds and became the first production car to break the 200mph barrier.

The F40 will be accompanied by a Jaguar XJR15, launched at the very first Autosport International in 1991, Porsche 959, Audi Sport Quattro SWB and Lancia Stratos Stradale in the unique collection.

Other Performance Car Show features include the Autocar Supercar display, hosting the Ferrari 458 Speciale, Lamborghini Huracán, BMW i8 and Vühl 05 in an 1,800hp showcase.

Finalists from the motoring bible’s Britain’s Best Driver’s Cars 2014 will also be put through their paces in the Live Action Arena, with the winning 458 Speciale accompanied by the McLaren 650S, Porsche 911 GT3 and Jaguar F-Type.

In the Live Action Arena and a special Performance Car Show presentation, attendees will have the first opportunity to see a selection of category winners from the prestigious What Car? Awards 2015, after the accolades are handed out on the eve of the show.

Within Autosport International, stars of motorsport such as David Coulthard, Petter Solberg, Allan McNish, Anthony Davidson, Colin Turkington and Matt Neal will be present, along with displays spanning karting to Formula 1.

SOUTH AFRICA - AutoWeek magazine awards the Alfa 4C as its Drivers Car Of The Year 2015

South African newspaper AutoWeek has voted the Alfa Romeo 4C as its Drivers car of the year for 2015.

The 4C emerged victorious over a group of finalists including fourteen new performance-oriented cars launched in the past year and subjected to to an intensive three-day shootout on the road and around a secret test track to ascertain which of those was the most pleasing to drive.

AutoWeek’s Drivers car of the year split the fourteen finalists into three groups: hot hatchbacks, sedans and sportscars to determine a winner of each group; with each winner going through to the podium and the final shootout.

The podium saw the Volkswagen Golf R emerging as AutoWeek’s Drivers hatchback of the year, the BMW M3 selected as the AutoWeek Drivers sedan of the year and the Alfa Romeo 4C chosen as the AutoWeek Drivers sports car of the year.

A further shootout between the three saw the Alfa Romeo 4C emerge as the overall AutoWeek Drivers car of the year 2015.

“None of its rivals came close to 4C’s charm and allure, its cheeky, busy noise and a feeling you will only otherwise get inside a Ferrari 458,” AutoWeek editor Michele Lupini reported.

“But when you take it out on a racetrack and drive it to the absolute limit, there is nothing that comes near. The 4C was the only car that was still beckoning for more – taunting us to seek out the limits.

“This is Drivers car of the year, so a less than genteel entrance or exit to or from a slightly crab-like driving position, or a little extra leather lining make little difference; as much as a questionably sculpted centre console corner and a lack of ultimate build quality don’t really matter either.

“What does matter is how this Alfa Romeo talks to the driver, how you feel when driving it – especially at the limit and how it performs and behaves on the road,” Lupini concluded. “And this little Alfa does all that brilliantly.”

AutoWeek newspaper is on sale as usual throughout South Africa from Thursday 18 December and is also available as a digital issue