The new Land Rover Defender has come out on top of this year’s TopGear.com Awards, picking up the overall 'Car of the Year’ and ‘Unstoppable Force’ awards.
Some awards selections on the list of winners might just shock or amuse you, but there are some serious selections that will tick the box with Irish buyers.
Top Gear hosts Paddy McGuinness, Freddie Flintoff and Chris Harris presented this year’s awards virtually on Top Gear’s YouTube page, which saw a total of 18 awards handed out, including the three presenters’ top picks of the year.
Ford won ‘Manufacturer of the Year’, while the Honda ‘e’ was named ‘City Car of the Year’. The Toyota GR Yaris meanwhile received the ‘Hot Hatch of the Year’ award.
Commenting on the Defender’s win, Jack Rix, editor, Top Gear Magazine said: “Car of the Year is an accolade won by only the very best of the best. We recognise that replacing an icon is an unenviable task, and one Land Rover rightly took its time to get right.
“We’ve now driven one across the Namibian desert – and in properly harsh environments, like the M25 – in both 110 and 90 forms, with every engine under the bonnet and it just performs brilliantly everywhere.
"There’s an argument that because it costs a bit more, it won’t be used properly by the farming and rural community, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be… It’s the toughest, most capable off-roader we’ve ever tested, but one that’s a refined, well-equipped family car around town.”
The Top Gear award winners in full are:
Hot Hatch of the Year:Toyota GR Yaris.
The car we are (TG ) most looking forward to driving in 2021: BMW M3.
City Car of the Year: Honda e
Super-SUV of the Year: Aston Martin DBX
Luxury Car of the Year: Rolls-Royce Ghost
Game Changer of the Year: Volkswagen ID.3
Chris’ Car of the Year/Performance Car of the Year: Porsche 911 Turbo S
Freddie’s Car of the Year: Jaguar XJ220
Paddy’s Car of the Year: Mr Nippy (an electric ice cream van )
Noise of the Year: Ferrari 812 GTS
Eco-Warrior of the Year: Ferrari SF90
Crossover of the Year: Ford Puma M
Manufacturer of the Year: Ford
Track Weapon of the Year: Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series
Retro Hero of the Year: Volvo P1800 CyanTG
Hero of the Year: Lewis Hamilton
Unstoppable Force of the Year: Land Rover Defender
