The ICOTY award goes to the capable Mahindra XUV700 that stood over its competitors, quite literally in many cases, during the jury round at the Buddh International Circuit.
The ICOTY is the most prestigious award in the Indian automotive industry and it is earned by the car that scores the most points through a series of evaluations. JK Tyres have been crucial in the growth of ICOTY. Their constant support has allowed the award to gain the credibility and prominence it commands today. This year Deloitte joined the table as the knowledge partner.
The 17th edition of the ICOTY was executed by senior journalists from leading automobile magazines across the country. The process of evaluation that was formed in 2005 has evolved over the years and this time also, the contenders were judged on the basis of a large number of parameters such as price, fuel-efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money, and suitability for Indian driving conditions.
The Green Car Award that was introduced last year was retained for this edition as well and there were quite a few entries in that space too. With as many as five EVs fighting for the top spot, the Audi e-tron bagged the award. Since India has transformed into a growing market for luxury cars, there was some tough competition for the Premium Car of the Year Award. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class outclassed its competition and claimed that one.
In 2021, the ICOTY award went to the Hyundai i20, the Green Car Award went to the Tata Nexon EV and the Land Rover Defender took home the Premium Car Award.
Along with our very own Aspi Bhathena (Editor, Bike India and Car India) and Sarmad Kadiri (Executive Editor, Bike India and Car India), the members of the Jury for the 2022 ICOTY awards were: Yogendra Pratap (Chairman, ICOTY and Editor of Auto Today), Rahul Ghosh (Associate Editor, Auto Today), Dhruv Behl (Editor, AutoX), Ishan Raghava (Associate Editor, AutoX), Sirish Chandran (Editorial Director, Evo India, Fast Bikes India & Motor Sport India), Aniruddha Rangnekar (Contributing editor at Evo India), Pablo Chaterji (Executive Editor, Motoring World), Kartik Ware (Managing Editor, Motoring World), Bertrand D’souza (Editor, Overdrive), Bob Rupani (Overdrive), Muralidhar Swaminathan (Consulting Motoring Editor, The Hindu Business Line), Vikrant Singh (Editor, CarWale, BikeWale and CarTrade), Girish Karkera (Editor, Times Auto), Kranti Sambhav (Editor and Lead, Times Drive) and Ashish Jha (Editor, Outlook Traveller).
Story: Joshua Varghese
Also Read: Mahindra XUV700 AX7 L Test Review – Bruiser Cruiser
