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The Alfa MiTo has become the first Alfa
Romeo model to ever be shortlisted for the
prestigious Car of the Year Japan
award which has celebrated its thirtieth
edition this week during the 41st Tokyo
Motor Show (above). Photo: MAX Press. |
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The Alfa MiTo has
become the first Alfa Romeo model to ever be shortlisted for
the prestigious Car of the Year Japan award which has
celebrated its thirtieth edition this week during the
41st Tokyo Motor Show. While Fiat Group Automobiles,
including Alfa Romeo, and
many other leading European brands have skipped the
country's première motor show this time the MiTo is however on display
in an area of the halls dedicated to the Car of the Year
Japan award.
While the new MiTo
didn't win the overall prize, it came home in ninth place
out of the final run-off of ten models, it did, importantly,
make it through to the last batch of cars to be considered
for the honour. European cars on the judging list that
failed to make the final shortlist included the BMW 7-series
and Z4, Audi A4 Cabriolet, Peugeot 308 CC and Jaguar XFR.
Making it through from Europe to the final ten places
alongside the MiTo was the VW Golf and Mercedes-Benz
E-class, while Fiat's new partner Chrysler Group was the
only North American carmaker to represented in the contest,
thanks to the Dodge Journey, although the minivan was
knocked out during the first round voting.
Celebrating its
30th year, the Japan Car of the Year awards held its
final voting session for 2009-2010 on October 21 at the
Makuhari Messe site in Chiba Prefecture. After all the votes
were counted and tallied, the winner of the Japan Car of
the Year was the
Toyota Prius
while the
Import Car of the Year award went to the
Volkswagen Golf.
In addition, the special award for Most Advanced
Technology was awarded to Mitsubishi i-MiEV,
while the Nissan Fairlady Z won the prize for Most Fun.
The trophy for Best Value was awarded to the Subaru
Legacy.
This year’s award coincides
with the 30th
year since the
Japan Car of
the Year organization was established, and in a special
vote to select the most impressionable Best Third Decade
Car from winners of the 20th to 29th
Japan Car of
the Year, the
Honda Fit was
crowned the victor.
Japan Car of the
Year Voting Results:
1st Prius (Toyota) 433 votes
2nd Insight (Honda) 391 votes
3rd Golf (Volkswagen) 186 votes
4th i-MiEV (Mitsubishi) 131 votes
5th E-Class (Mercedes Benz) 125 votes
6th Axela (Mazda3) (Mazda) 71 votes
7th XC60 (Volvo) 52 votes
8th Fairlady Z (Nissan) 49 votes
8th MiTo (Alfa Romeo) 49 votes
10th Legacy (Subaru) 38 votes
Total votes: 1525 votes / 61 Jurors
Winner of Japan Car of the Year – Toyota
Prius
Toyota created the
hybrid segment over 12 years ago, and continues to meet the
needs of the eco-generation. The car’s affordable pricing
and no-compromise precision electronic control system were
two aspects evaluated highly by jurors. The company
continues to challenge the boundaries of hybrid motorization
with a new era of environmentally friendly technology.
Winner of Import Car of the Year –
Volkswagen Golf
Jurors praised the
Golf’s special blend of sporty performance and excellent
fuel efficiency achieved through the synergy effect from the
superb DSG transmission and its small capacity engine
empowered by a unique turbocharger and supercharger
combination. This hardware makes the Golf a real driver’s
car.
Recipient of Most Advanced Technology
award – Mitsubishi i-MiEV
Employing high
performance lithium-ion batteries, the i-MiEV is the world’s
first mass production EV car to offer usable everyday
performance and practicality thanks to its advanced
electronic system. It is a car that opens the door to an
exciting electric future. Jurors en-masse voted for these
significant developments.
Recipient of Most Fun award – Nissan
Fairlady Z (370Z)
The Z is the very
embodiment of Nissan’s sports car program. Fitted with a
powerful V6 engine driving the rear wheels, this stylish
coupe boasts ‘Synchr-rev Control,’ a new transmission
feature that makes the 6-speed manual car a blast to drive.
Recipient of Best Value award – Subaru
Legacy
The jury panel gave
high marks to the Legacy’s combination of affordable price,
superb AWD system and horizontally-opposed boxer engine,
meticulously honed over the last 20 years. The car also
features an all-new driving assist unit called SI radar
cruise.
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