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.
In 2019, the ICOTY Jury took the decision to also institute one more award under the ICOTY aegis. Given the increasing popularity and acceptance of the Premium Car category in the Indian market – and the vast range available from multiple manufacturers – the Premium Car Award by ICOTY was the logical next step for the awards. Not only does the Premium Car Award allow a wider section of the automotive industry to be a part of the most credible automotive awards in India, but it also allows the Indian consumers to make an educated choice amongst the Premium Car options available in the market.
The ICOTY is the most credible and coveted award, and almost like the ‘Oscar’ of Indian car awards. It is gaining prominence with each passing year, and credit for this must go to JK Tyres, which have been supporting this award and sponsoring the grand award ceremonies right from the inception.
All cars that qualify for these awards are new models. Existing cars that have had cosmetic facelifts or small mechanical changes, like different power or drive-trains, do not qualify for this award. The country of origin does not matter, but they have to be manufactured or assembled in India and be on sale in showrooms before November 30th of the previous year. The cars should have been homologated for Indian type approval, but those imported through the CBU route are not considered.
Selection of the Winner is by a simple voting system, where each member of the jury has a maximum of 25 points. Every Jury member can allot a maximum of 10 points to one car. And every Jury member must give points to at least 5 of the contending cars. A very fair and transparent system makes the ICOTY the most credible auto award.
