The Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year award was established in 1978 based on similar

Car of the Year Car of the Year (COTY) is a common abbreviation for numerous automotive awards. The "Car of the Year" phrase is considered to have been introduced by ''Motor Trend'' magazine in 1949 when the new publication named Cadillac as Motor Trend Car of th ...

awards. It is organised and judged by the Motoring Media Association of Ireland (MMAI), a grouping of motoring journalists in Ireland. The award was initially sponsored by Semperit and more recently by Semperit's owners,

Continental Tyres Continental AG, commonly known as Continental or colloquially as Conti, is a German multinational automotive parts manufacturing company specializing in tires, brake systems, interior electronics, automotive safety, powertrain and chassis com ...

. The award has eleven category winners: Irish Car of the Year (overall winner), Compact Car of the Year, Medium Car of the Year, Large Car of the Year, Compact SUV of the Year, Medium SUV of the Year, Large SUV of the Year, Green/Efficient Car of the Year, Performance/Luxury Car of the Year, Hot Hatchback of the Year, and, since 2019, MPV of the Year.

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

has won the competition eight times, with the

Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a "world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Austra ...

winning the overall title the most times for an individual model. The winner for 2023 was the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. The awards event is usually held each November in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

, with the 2023 ceremony being staged at the Westin Dublin Hotel.

Current rules

Cars are assessed by a jury of 34 of the most experienced motoring journalists in Ireland. Each jury member road tests every car individually on the following criteria: * Use of new technology/new ideas * Safety factors * Equipment level, fuel economy, practicality * Environmental impact (emissions, recyclability) * Use of space, comfort, ventilation and layout * Build quality, fit and finishing * Ride, dynamic qualities, road holding, steering, manoeuvrability * Engine, ease of driving, braking * Price, warranty, dealer network, after sales service * Driver/user feedback

Results

The first winner of the award was the

Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...

Diesel, which debuted four years after the regular Volkswagen Golf. The second winner, the

Volkswagen Derby Volkswagen Derby was the name first given by German automaker Volkswagen for the commercialization of the booted saloon (three-box) version of its Volkswagen Polo Mk1 supermini, between 1977 and 1981 in Europe. Later, the Derby name was used ...

, and the third winner, the

Fiat Ritmo The Fiat Ritmo is a small, front-engine, front-wheel drive family car manufactured and marketed by Fiat, launched in April 1978 at the Turin Motor show and offered in 3- and 5-door hatchback and cabriolet body styles – from 1978 to 1988 with t ...

, both won around 18 months after being launched. The

Datsun Stanza The Nissan Violet is a model of car that appeared in Japan in 1973, and was exclusive to Japanese Nissan dealerships called ''Nissan Cherry Store '' as a larger companion to the Nissan Cherry. In 1977 the second generation arrived. This was spli ...

received the award soon after its launch, while the next winner, the Ford Escort, had been on sale since September 1980. Mercedes’ first title came in 2016. The Peugeot 3008 won the award in 2017, the second time it had triumphed. The

is the only model to have won the title three times, in 1994, 2008 and 2016. It was beaten into second place in 2001 by the

Renault Laguna The Renault Laguna is a large family car that was manufactured and marketed by Renault for 21 years in three body styles: hatchback, coupé, and estate. The first generation Laguna was launched in 1994, the second generation was introduced in 200 ...

. The 2023 winner was the Volkswagen ID. Buzz with the van version, the

ID. Buzz Cargo The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is a battery electric minivan produced by German manufacturer Volkswagen. Based on the dedicated battery electric MEB platform, it is the first production electric minivan from Volkswagen and part of the Volkswagen ID. ...

, winning the Irish Van of the Year title.

By manufacturer

References

{{Reflist

External links

Irish Car of the Year WebsiteIrish Motoring Writers Association
Motor vehicle awards Road transport in Europe

Current rules

Results

By manufacturer

See also

References

External links