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The Renault Duster and the KTM Duke 200 have been selected as the Indian Car of the Year 2013 and the Indian Motorcycle of the Year 2013, respectively.
Raghupati Singhania, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of JK Tyre and Industries, gave away the awards at a ceremony here on Thursday.
It was a tough call for the jury members of the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) and the Indian Motorcycle of the Year (IMOTY) to choose the ones that best represent the tag – Made in India and made for India.
After an independent poll of established motoring journalists from eight member publications including The Hindu Business Line , the best car and bike of the next year were chosen. Both the awards have been issued annually for the past five years.
To qualify, the cars and bikes need to be new models (not facelifts), and have to be manufactured in India or involve significant local assembly. Completely built units (CBUs) did not qualify. They also have to be vehicles that have been launched in the Indian market and are available in showrooms before November 30 of the year of assessment. The award itself is issued for the next year.
The selection of the winner is broadly based on parameters such as price, fuel efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality and technical innovation, value for money and suitability for Indian conditions.
JK Tyres, which has been a supporter of the ICOTY and IMOTY, was the sponsor of the awards ceremony in Mumbai.
ICOTY 2013
Over 20 cars launched this year qualified for the 2013 awards. The eleven finalists selected by the jury were: Chevrolet Sail UV-A, Hyundai Elantra, Mahindra Quanto, Maruti-Suzuki Alto 800, Maruti-Suzuki Ertiga, Maruti-Suzuki Swift DZire, Nissan Evalia, Renault Duster, Renault Pulse, Renault Scala and Tata Safari Storme.
The Renault Duster won the award for its unique position as one of the first affordable compact crossovers. Its promise of reliability, efficiency, ride quality and handling gives it a special appeal.
The Maruti-Suzuki Ertiga came second in the rankings and the new Hyundai Elantra was the third in the list after the votes were counted.
IMOTY 2013
This year, the KTM Duke 200 joined the fray, but faced serious competition from a variety of motorcycles in different classes – the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS and Discover 125ST, the Honda Dream Yuga and CBR150R, the Suzuki Hayate, the Hero Ignitor, the Royal Enfield Thunderbird 500, the Hyosung GT250R and the TVS Phoenix. Pulsar 200NS lost to KTM by a slender margin, while Dream Yuga polled 30 points to come in at third place.The Duke is the first offering from KTM in India, and it was an instant hit, both critically and commercially. Its aggressive, modern design, powerful 200cc, 25.5 bhp engine and raw, energetic nature give it a unique position compared to the other motorcycles in its class.
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