2019 MotorBeam Awards – Winners
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2019 was a difficult time for both carmakers and two-wheeler manufacturers. The BS6 transition, safety regulations along with many other economical factors hit the Indian auto industry hard in 2019. It was quite an action packed year though with a mix of dwindling sales, huge production cuts and at the same time new brands churning out huge volumes with a long waiting period. Still, 2019 saw a lot of new and interesting contenders and we finally announce the MotorBeam award winners right here.
Premium car of the year – The Porsche 911 is an iconic car and one of the greatest sports cars of all time. It was first introduced in 1963 and it carries the same DNA even in its latest eighth generation. It is an incredible driver’s car offering fantastic performance and supreme driving dynamics. The 911 has easily won our vote for the Premium car of the year award. It comes with a starting price of Rs. 1.74 crores (ex-showroom).
Readers’ choice MotorBeam car of the year – The Renault Triber is a great value for money offering for the Indian market. It creates a new segment of a sub 4-metre 7-seater vehicle which offers good amount of space, practicality and modern styling. It has a versatile character as well which can be used as a family car as well as a road trip vehicle with friends. The Renault Triber comes with a starting price of Rs. 4.95 lakhs (ex-showroom).
SUV of the year – The latest generation BMW X5 justifies the word Sport in SUV. It offers immense luxury along with great off-road ability. Compared to the previous gen X5, the new one feels much better to drive, offers advanced technology and looks mature with the latest BMW design language. The new BMW X5 is priced from Rs. 73.30 lakhs (ex-showroom).
Car manufacturer of the year – Tata Motors has come a long way. The Indian carmaker is pushing the boundaries in terms of safety like in the case of Nexon, which is the first car in India getting 5-star Global NCAP safety rating. Then there is the new Harrier which looks phenomenal with the new design language and is made with advanced tech. The carmaker is also betting big on electric vehicles and some of them they have already supplied to the government. Tata Motors is coming up with a new range of vehicles soon such as the Tata Altroz, Tata Gravitas and Tata Nexon EV.
MotorBeam car of the year – The Hyundai Venue is a unique product in its segment. It is a compact SUV that is rich in quality, offers a long list of segment first features and looks quite attractive. The Hyundai Venue is one of the first cars in India to get connected car tech. Hyundai also offers a DCT gearbox with the Venue along with a turbo petrol engine. The overall package of the Venue is very attractive. The Hyundai Venue is priced from Rs. 6.50 lakhs (ex-showroom).
Premium motorcycle of the year – The Indian FTR 1200 is a unique motorcycle which belongs to the Flat Tracker category. It is something which we have never seen from Indian Motorcycles and it is very different from what the American bike maker usually offers. The bike looks exceptional in person, it is fun to ride and has some special features on offer. Comes with 4.3-inch full-colour touchscreen instrument console with Bluetooth, a USB port, LED lights and cruise control. It is priced from Rs. 15.99 lakhs (ex-showroom).
Readers’ choice MotorBeam motorcycle of the year – The Benelli Imperiale 400 is an attractive looking motorcycle which has a good road presence. It looks one of the largest motorcycles in the 350-400cc category. The bike has already got upwards of 5000 bookings since launch and the Indian audience is appreciating the bike very well. It comes with a starting price of Rs. 1.69 lakhs (ex-showroom).
Scooter of the year – The Honda Activa has been the highest selling scooter and one of the highest selling 2-wheelers in India since years. The Activa 125 is the first scooter in India to get BS6 compliance. It also packs in a lot of features and is overall a great package, which is quite desirable for Indian buyers. It comes with a starting price of Rs. 67,490/- (ex-showroom).
Bike manufacturer of the year – Suzuki Motorcycles has launched four new products in 2019 with new design language and technology. The new range of Gixxer and Gixxer SF bikes look very attractive. Also, Suzuki is the only bike maker which has shown positive growth in this market scenario.
Motorcycle of the year – KTM has a huge fanbase in India and the Duke 790 was one of the most anticipated bikes in 2019. What’s really worth appreciating about the KTM Duke 790 is the fact that it’s a very easy motorcycle to ride being a middle-weight bike. The Austrian bike maker has stuffed in a lot of technology in the bike. These electronics really don’t hamper the riding experience. The KTM Duke 790 is priced at Rs. 8.63 lakhs (ex-showroom).
