What's the news?
A total of six finalists have been named for the Autobest 2019 award. The Citroen Berlingo/Peugeot Rifter/Opel Combo, Citroen C4 Cactus, Dacia Duster, Ford Focus, Kia Ceed and Toyota Corolla are the finalists.
The jury of 31 members, including CompleteCar.ie Road Test Editor, Dave Humphreys, will decide on the overall winner during two days of intensive back-to-back testing at the Vairano proving ground in Italy. A winner will be announced on 15 December.
"This year we have a record of cars attending the final of the European competition. This comes mainly as a result of the jury members deciding that the PSA Group's new model will compete as one - a first for our Autobest jury. This increased number will make this year's competition for Best Buy Car of Europe in 2019 even more exciting! Another first is Citroen which is the first brand to have two models in the Final," said Dan Vardie, Founder and Chairman of Autobest.
Anything else?
Linda Jackson, CEO of Citroen, has been awarded Autobest's top management award. The award is given in recognition of her successful leadership of the Citroen brand, which has seen a significant turnaround, with new models and greater sales success. "In an automotive world dominated by male leadership, Linda is a brilliant example of a competitive female top executive. We are all very excited having her in the most important gallery of top executives in the global car industry," said Dan Vardie, Founder and Chairman of Autobest.
This year's Designbest award goes to Peter Horbury, Chief Designer at Geely Automotive Group. Horbury is a well-regarded designer with a wealth of experience and an impressive back catalogue. In his current role, he oversees the design centres at Geely Automotive Group, which includes Lotus, Lynk & Co, Volvo, London EEV Company (which produces the new London Black Cab), and Geely itself.
The Technobest award goes to DS for its Active Scan Suspension that features in the DS 7. It uses a combination of camera, four attitude sensors and three accelerometers to scan the road ahead and adjust the suspension to provide a smoother ride.
In the area of motorsport, the jury will present the Sportbest award to the Toyota Motor Company for its outstanding results in numerous categories. 2018 marked a real highlight for the Japanese manufacturer and its Cologne-based motorsports team. A 1-2 victory in the legendary 24 hours of Le Mans gave proof of the commitment, ambition, teamwork and above all perseverance of the people at Toyota Racing and Toyota Motorsport. In the currently ongoing World Endurance Championship (WEC) and World Rally Championship (WRC), Toyota chases manufacturer and driver titles.