It all started back in 2005, when senior and eminent journalists from all the leading automobile magazines in India got together and decided to create and confer the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) award.
This 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 voting process has been designed to be very fair and tamper-proof. 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 while deciding on the winner.
ICOTY is the most credible and coveted Indian automotive award, and is often referred to as the ‘Oscar’ of the Indian automotive industry. JK Tyre has been a proud sponsor of the grand award ceremonies right from the inception of the award.
The Hyundai i20 was crowned the 2021 Indian Car of the Year. On behalf of the ICOTY 2021 jury, Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & MD, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., presented the ICOTY 2021 trophy to Mr S S Kim, MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India Limited. The Hyundai i20 had to battle it out with some very strong contenders – namely the Honda City, Hyundai Aura, Hyundai Creta, Kia Carnival, Kia Sonet, Mahindra Thar, MG Gloster and the Tata Altroz but ultimately it took home the crown with 104 points. The Kia Sonet gave the i20 good competition and with 91 points, it took home second place. Behind the Sonet, the Mahindra Thar claimed the final spot on the podium, with 78 points.
Land Rover took home the Premium Car Award 2021 for the Defender 110. Due to travel restrictions in place, the Land Rover representatives could not be present at the ceremony and therefore, were presented with the award virtually. The Premium Car Award takes into consideration all premium, performance and luxury cars that sit above the ₹40-lakh mark. These include both, locally produced as well as imported car models. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé, with 61 points, and the Mercedes-Benz GLE, with 77 points, were runners-up in the Premium Car category.
Tata Motors took home the first-ever Green Car Award for the Tata Nexon EV. Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman & MD, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., presented the Green Car Award 2021 trophy to Mr Anand Kulkarni (Head-Product Line, Electric Vehicles, Tata Motors) and Mr. Vivek Misra (Head - Product Development - Passenger Vehicle, Tata Motors). The Green Car Award takes into consideration all hybrid and electric vehicles currently available in the Indian market. These include both, locally produced as well as imported car models. The Hyundai Kona EV (99 points) and the MG ZS EV (93 points) were runners-up in this category.
