European automotive jury Autobest announced the best
The new SEAT LEON wins AUTOBEST 2021 as Europe‘s best car purchase. Six other finalists competed with it. With 12,685 points, the new LEON is only 532 points ahead of the new Skoda Octavia. The new Peugeot 2008 finished third with 11,636 points.
The new SEAT LEON wins Europe's best car buy AUTOBEST 2021.
The new Citroen C4, Honda Jazz, Peugeot 2008, Seat Leon, Skoda Octavia and Toyota Yaris – AUTOBEST 2021 finalists – took part in the final test in Austria.
Following a long tradition started by AUTOBEST two decades ago, this year the OAMTC Teesdorf proving ground became the main stage of extended testing with no less than 18 vehicles shipped to Austria from more European countries.
The Citroen e-C4 and the Seat Leon plug-in hybrid are considered two world premieres as the AUTOBEST jury members were the first journalists to present these novelties. The previous day, the jury members conducted road tests in this magnificent region of Lower Austria.
Below are the other Autobest winners.
Herbert Diess, CEO of the Volkswagen Group, becomes the new member of the MANBEST Hall of Fame – Person of the Year.
Volkswagen aims to become the world leader in electric vehicles. Over time, his achievements can be seen as decisive. In these difficult times, Mr. Diess is carrying out a deep restructuring of the group in order to make it more dynamic.
TECHNOBEST 2020 awarded to Renault E-Tech.
This hybrid innovation is track-to-road technology. By pushing the boundaries of Formula 1, Renault is bringing to market an efficient and affordable solution that really fits into everyday driving.
Renault showcased its technology expertise in transitioning to an emission-reducing future by introducing three hybrid models in the small/compact car segments in 2020 and three more models coming in 2021 in hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions.
ECOBEST 2020 award goes to Honda e.
The smart Honda e is an ingenious clean electric vehicle perfectly optimized for green city center use. With a design that cannot be confused with other competitors, Honda e is charismatic, luxurious and a pleasure to drive.
With the introduction of the Honda e, the Japanese giant has not only demonstrated its willingness to build an urban BEV, but also demonstrated the right flair for technical innovation. Replacing rear-view mirrors with cameras is another surprise in the subcompact segment.
Skoda is the winner of the COMPANYBEST 2020 award.
Skoda Auto is the winner of the COMPANYBEST 2020 award. The growth in new Skoda car registrations in recent years has been as impressive as the increase in market shares in many markets, including the market. Technical innovations, attractive design, customer-oriented product range expansion, the digitalization of dProduction production, the production of BEV and ICE vehicles on the same line and the unchanging principle of “simply smart” ideas justify Škoda's receiving the prestigious award.
The 2020 DESIGNBEST award winner is Frank Stevenson.
He has worked on many iconic cars that get the heart rate up for all of us, including the Ford Escort RS, Cosworth, BMW X5, Maserati MC12, Ferrari FXX, McLaren MP4-12C, and the MINI Cooper and Fiat 500. These and many more are worn by Frank's name.
He looks to animals for inspiration and uses classic design techniques from sketches to CGI and clay models. In 2018, he founded Frank Stephenson Design Consultancy, where he continues to work on many projects, including non-automotive ones.
The 2020 SMARTBEST award goes to Jaguar Land Rover for the Pivi Pro infotainment system,
It adopts dual SIM design to provide more efficient wireless update and data transfer for the car. Initially pioneered in space and aviation, Jaguar Land Rover is the first car manufacturer in the world to implement this dual-SIM setup, bringing many advantages over world leaders like Tesla, including better protection against cyber attacks.
SAFETYBEST 2020 is awarded to Toyota for the development and installation of a center airbag in the new Yaris.
The inclusion of this vital safety equipment in one of the smallest vehicles continues to democratize such technology. With this device, the Yaris scored high in the latest Euro NCAP test.
Torger Christian “Toto” Wolf is the winner of the SPORTBEST 2020 award
In 2013, he took over the Mercedes-Benz motorsport team and formed a team that has remained undefeated in the championships in the following years. Under Wolf's leadership, Mercedes AMG won a series of unprecedented championship victories in Formula 1.
So far, the former driver and businessman from Vienna has led the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team to seven FIA Constructor victories and drivers Lewis Hamilton (6) and Nico Rosberg (1) to championship titles. Thus, Wolf became the most successful team principal in Formula One of all time.
The special AUTOBEST “A STAR IS BORN” award goes to Citroën for its Ami EV urban mobility solution.
This two-seat electric car was primarily designed with today's urban mobility in mind. It is available to users through very affordable purchase and rental schemes, including from non-traditional automotive stores. The innovative use of the phone, which replaces many of the car's functions, is increasing appeal to young users in many countries, introducing them to local emissions-free driving at an earlier age. The Citroën Ami could be the ideal solution for individual passenger transport in European cities of the near future – with electric drive, simple charging and minimal road and parking space requirements. Ami may point to a new path for Citroen, going beyond classic cars but in keeping with the brand's DNA and the spirit of André Citroen.
The material was prepared by Petr Menshikh – Autobest represents the market on the jury.
More information at www.autobest.org.