The list of candidates for the 2009 Semperit Irish Car of the Year awards has been announced by the Irish Motoring Writers Association.
The winners will be revealed at a ceremony on Friday November 21.
The awards, which are adjudicated by the Irish Motoring Writers Association – the body that represents the majority of motoring journalists in Ireland – will feature five category winners and one overall Semperit Irish Car of the Year title winner. This new process represents the biggest shake up in the award’s 30 year history.
The new category awards are as follows:
• Semperit Irish Small Car of the Year
• Semperit Irish Family Car of the Year
• Semperit Irish MPV of the Year
• Semperit Irish Luxury / Sport Car of the Year
• Semperit Irish SUV / Crossover of the Year
The overall Semperit Irish Car of the Year winner will be selected from the winners of the five category awards.
Tony Toner, chairman of the IMWA, said: “In comparison to 30 years ago, today’s car market has a much wider array of cars that appeal to the vast range of today’s motorists’ needs. It was clear that in this fragmented market, there are several niche categories that would be very unlikely to provide a vehicle to claim the Semperit Irish Car of the Year title. For this reason, we have decided on this change to the awards in an effort to highlight the best vehicles in a number of categories that will best meet the widely varied needs of Irish motorists.”
On behalf of sponsor, Semperit Ireland, Paddy Murphy commented: “The introduction of category awards is a great innovation and will widen the appeal of the Semperit Irish Car of the Year awards. The members of the IMWA provide a valuable service to Irish motorists trying to navigate the dizzying array of choices that confront them when they decide to change their cars. In today’s economic environment, any prospective car buyer would be well advised to take note of the verdict of the IMWA jurors.”
The candidates for the Semperit Irish Car of the Year 2009 in each category are as follows:
Semperit Irish Small Car of the Year
Chevrolet Aveo Hatch
Fiat 500
Ford Fiesta
Hyundai i10
Mini Clubman
Opel Agila
Seat Ibiza
Semperit Irish Family Car of the Year
Audi A4
BMW 3 Series
Chrysler Sebring
Citroen C5
Mitsubishi Lancer
Skoda Superb
Suzuki Splash
Semperit Irish MPV of the Year
Citroen Berlingo Multi
Hyundai Montana
Peugeot Expert Teepee
Renault Grand Modus
Fiat Firoino Qubo
Semperit Irish SUV / Crossover of the Year
BMW X6
Ford Kuga
Jeep Patriot
Renault Koleos
SsangYong Kyron
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan
Volvo XC60
Semperit Irish Luxury/Sport Car of the Year
Audi A8
Audi A3 Cabrio
Audi A6 RS
Audi R8
BMW 1 Series Cabrio
BMW 7 Series
Jaguar XF
Volkswagen Passat CC
Volkswagen Scirocco
A shortlist of two vehicles per category will be announced in the coming weeks.
Last year the Semperit Irish Car of the Year title went to the Ford Mondeo while the van accolade was won by the Fiat Scudo.
