23 replies to this topic

[the1]

Masina anului 2007 in Europa

1. Ford S-Max 235 punten
2. Opel Corsa 233 punten
3. Citro�n Picasso 222 punten
4. Skoda Roomster 189 punten
5. Honda Civic 148 punten
6. Peugeot 207 144 punten
7. Volvo C30 141 punten
8. Fiat Punto 138 punten

Cin' sa fie, cin' sa fie? S_MAX RULZ!

[tibitu]

bun asa!!!

[the1]

In one of the most closely fought contests for years, Ford's sporty MPV, the S-Max, has won the 2007 Car of the Year contest.

The S-Max won by a margin of just three points from Vauxhall's Corsa supermini. Citro�n's new C4 Picasso MPV came third.

The competition's 58-strong panel of jurors - motoring journalists from 22 European countries, including Autcar's Steve Cropley - gave the S-Max 235 points. The Corsa got 233 points (making it the judges' favourite of three superminis in this year's shortlist). The C4 Picasso was awarded 222 points.

All eight finalists in this year's competition (there are usually seven, but two cars scored equal votes in the first round) were well supported. The Skoda Roomster won 189 votes, and even the Fiat Punto, which came eighth, amassed 138 votes, far more than usual for last place.

Ford management will take the S-Max's victory as clear backing for their decision to launch a driver-oriented MPV at a time when demand for full-size MPVs has been falling. It is the second win for an MPV in the Car of the Year contest's 44-year history. The first MPV winner was the Renault M�gane Sc�nic 10 years ago.

The 2007 Car of the Year trophy will be presented to Ford bigwigs at a ceremony in Amsterdam on 22 January.

[Artanis]

http://www.channel4..../feature/4934/1

[the1]

Ford S-Max Voted 2007 Car of the Year

Closely fought competition

The all-new Ford S-MAX has been awarded the prestigious title of 'Car of the Year 2007.'

The 'Car of the Year' is an international award, judged by a panel of 58 top motoring journalists from 22 European countries. Its objective is to acclaim the most outstanding new car to go on sale in the 12 months preceding the date of the title. It is organised by a group of seven leading European publications: Auto ( Italy), Autocar (Great Britain), Autopista (Spain), Auto Visie (Holland), L'Automobile Magazine (France), Stern (Germany), and Vi Bilagare (Sweden).

The Ford S-MAX was declared the winner following a closely fought competition in which 41 contenders for the award were reduced to a shortlist of just eight -- the Citro�n C4 Picasso, Fiat Grande Punto, Ford S-MAX, Honda Civic, Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 207, Skoda Roomster and Volvo C30.

"We are absolutely delighted that this all-new model in the Ford range has secured the ultimate accolade as 'Car of the Year,' especially against such worthy competitors and in a year that has seen a record number of eligible contenders," said John Fleming, president and CEO, Ford of Europe.

"Since we launched S-MAX earlier this year, we have been amazed at the reaction to the car, both from the opinion forming media as well as our customers. This award confirms what we dared to believe -- that Ford S-MAX is different, and creates a new vehicle segment in which elements of a sports car and a multi-activity vehicle combine together to deliver a dynamic and stylish family vehicle that you really want to own," Fleming added.

Commenting on the award, Ray Hutton, the president of the 'Car of the Year' jury said: "This was a very close contest with all eight of the finalists deserving a place on the shortlist. It is clear from the voting that the Jury is impressed by the concept of the Ford S-MAX: a spacious and versatile car that drives like a sports saloon. Its victory is well-deserved."

Since its launch in April 2006, over half of the S-MAX vehicles built have been delivered to customers who are new to Ford, according to market research. The most polular S-MAX is the "Titanium," with more than 50 percent of customers ordering this top-of-range model.

"We are delighted with the response to S-MAX, and this award will strengthen the model's appeal," said Stephen Odell, vice president, Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford of Europe. "The fact that S-MAX is attracting new customers to us demonstrates the renewed appeal of the Ford brand in delivering great -looking, well-engineered cars and driving enjoyment without compromises."

As well as being a new model in the Ford of Europe portfolio, the new S-MAX is the first Ford production model to introduce elements of 'kinetic design' and a range of exciting new driver-focused technologies to Ford customers.

New active safety technologies targeted at providing high levels of control and accident avoidance include Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Alert, Collision Mitigation by Braking and a new Interactive Vehicle Dynamics active suspension system with continuously controlled damping.

Ford S-MAX has also achieved a class-leading five star rating for adult occupant protection under the Euro NCAP crash test protocol. Together with the new Galaxy and the Focus, Ford now offers three vehicles that achieved a maximum 5-star rating in Euro NCAP. With 2 stars and 13 points, Ford S-MAX also achieved a competitive result for pedestrian protection

S-MAX is one of the first production Ford models to feature a Human Machine Interface (HMI) system, which provides drivers with comprehensive information through a series of configurable menus. Easy to control toggle switches on the steering wheel allow the driver to review key data including in-car entertainment and navigation systems.

It is also the first production Ford vehicle to feature elements of Ford's "kinetic design" language. Sporty styling expresses energy in motion, emphasizing Ford's dynamic driving capabilities in a more overt way.

"We are very excited about the reaction to our 'kinetic design' form language," said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's Executive Director of Design. "The 'Car of the Year' award for S-MAX proves we're on the right track with our invitation to customers to 'Feel the Difference' and our commitment to broaden the appeal of Ford's future European vehicles beyond the rational and into the emotional."

The 2007 award for Ford S-MAX marks Ford of Europe's fifth 'Car of the Year' win, with the original Ford Focus last collecting the award in 1999. The Ford Focus set new standards in its class, and won by one of the biggest margins in the award�s 44-year history. Ford also won the title in 1993 with the first generation Ford Mondeo, in 1985 with the Ford Scorpio, and in 1981 with the Ford Escort.

[the1]

http://www.channel4..../feature/4934/3

8th: Fiat Grande Punto, 138 points.
The Fiat failed to achieve any full 10-point scores and the fact that not even the Italians scored it highly puts paid to an accusations of national bias sometime levelled at COTY in the past.

7th: Volvo C30, 141 points.
The C30 gained one 10-point score (from a UK judge) but the Swedes were lukewarm about their home (or home-badged) contender.

6th: Peugeot 207, 144 points.
More support here from Spain and Italy than from France.

5th: Honda Civic, 148 points.
UK judges were keener on the Civic than those from other countries. It was their second-favourite car overall but still no 10-point scores.

4th: Skoda Roomster, 189 points.
That's a big points leap over the Honda and this radical-looking car clearly polarised opinion with several zero scores but also a 10.

3rd: Citroen C4 Picasso, 222 points.
France favoured the Picasso the most overall, Germany the least, but its two 10-point scores came from Denmark and Sweden.

2nd: Vauxhall (or Opel) Corsa, 233 points.
Here's proportional representation at its best, a car much liked by enough jurors to reach second place without scoring a single 10-pointer. In which case it's a good thing it didn't win.

Car of the Year 2007: Ford S-Max, 235 points.
That's one of the closest winning margins in history, but unfortunately the S-Max, too, failed to score any 10-pointers. It was the UK jurors' overall favourite, though, and scored the lowest number of zeroes at just one.

____

Ford S-Max (7)
This is an original, inspired package and a work of engineering and marketing genius. That an MPV can be such fun to drive, with accurate and credible steering, genuinely sporting handling yet - mainly - a decent ride for passengers, strikes pleasure into the heart of a motoring journalist dismayed by a world in which driving pleasure is increasingly vilified by the car-haters. The S-Max shows that seven-seater practicality needn't be the end of driving fun, especially when it has a five-cylinder turbo engine. But why does this car have to be so wide?

Skoda Roomster (5)
Here's a car much greater than the some of its diverse Skoda parts, with an astonishingly good ride on the UK's disintegrating roads and an individual personality whose wackiness is tempered by real-world practicality. It demonstrates Skoda's creative independence from Volkswagen and is both fun to drive and fun to live with. Pity the middle rear seat is so uncomfortable.

Citroen C4 Picasso (4)
Here is Citro�n showing its innovative streak again, with a compact MPV full of new ideas. The space, the interior quality and the equipment levels are remarkable at the price, and the driving experience with the LCD displays and that vast windscreen is almost futuristic, if less fun for the car-lover than the S-Max and Roomster. The one-hand seat-fold system works well, the parking-space sensor is ingenious and it's clear a lot of thought has gone into this versatile car. It's no beauty, though, with that vast front overhang.

Volvo C30 (4)
This is clearly a desirable, high-image object and almost a great car whose five-cylinder petrol turbo version is actually a more satisfying drive than the Focus ST whose mechanicals it largely shares. Details spoil it, though: the hopeless luggage cover, the slow electric seat-slide mechanism with its lack of a position memory, too many hard interior plastics, the rattle of an unused front passenger seatbelt against the adjacent door pillar. These should have been fixed before launch.

Honda Civic (3)
Different is not necessarily better, but originality should be celebrated and that's why I like the Civic. The double-decker facia and the information system are logical and a pleasure to use, and the styling is futuristically and sportily distinctive. The engines suit the Civic well, and the sharp, responsive and consistent handling is a delight. Three main snags: a sometimes-harsh ride, a poor view rearwards and an infuriating seatbelt-warning chime which comes on as soon as you turn on the ignition. That alone would prevent me from buying this car.

Peugeot 207 (1)
None of this year's shortlisted superminis really moves the game on, and all are oversized and overweight. But the 207 comes closest to the nippy, agile, handy feel a supermini should have, with the most natural steering and less of a feeling of a small engine being overwhelmed by a corpulent car. Its salvation, though, comes with the THP 150 version, which is a crisply-handling, energetic and very enjoyable semi-hot hatchback.

Vauxhall/Opel Corsa (1)
It's very boldly styled and full of striking details and, on paper, it has all you could want from a supermini. It's well finished and its chassis dynamics are far ahead of its predecessor. But there's something wrong when even a 1.2-litre engine with 80bhp struggles to pull a supermini with any conviction.

Fiat Grande Punto (0)
It does look good with its Maserati-esque nose, but otherwise the Punto is like a Corsa (its under-skin cousin) that hasn't been finished yet. The suspension is noisier, the brakes snatchier, the interior a woeful expanse of cheap, hard plastic, dated dials and unappealing switchgear. I'd much rather have a Panda.

[the1]

Lista cu toate modelele castigatoare.

http://www.carofthey...es/Previous.htm

[masterblaster]

Alflasem din ziar ...mi se pare corecta decizia, mie unul imi place foarte mult S-Max

[the1]

seczi.

[the1]

Opel Corsa, maşina anului in Rom�nia

Concursul maşina anului ediţia pentru 2007 organizat de Uniunea Ziariştilor şi Editorilor Auto din Rom�nia a luat sf�rsit. Maşina caştigătoare a fost desemnată �n urma unui vot la care au luat parte numai jurnalişti auto.Concursul s-a desfaşurat după regulile competiţiei similare din Europa, fiecare jurnalist invitat a avut la dispozitie 25 de puncte, pe care le-a �mparţit la cel putin 5 modele.Punctajul maxim acordat unui singur automobil nu a avut voie să depăşeasca zece puncte.

Votarea s-a desfăşurat online pe site-ul www.masinaanului.ro. Fiecare jurnalist a primit un user name si o parola , pe baza carora şi-a putut exprima votul. La sf�rsitul votului site-ul a afişat automat caştigatoarea,Opel Corsa, �mpreuna cu numarul de voturi.

Clasamentul final a fost urmatorul:
Opel Corsa � 69 puncte
Ford S-Max � 52 puncte
Renault Clio III � 49 puncte
Skoda Roomster � 46 puncte
Peugeot 207 � 43 puncte
Fiat Grande Punto � 37 puncte
Hyundai Santa Fe � 30 puncte
Audi TT � 24 puncte


La 24 de ani de la lansarea lui Corsa si după mai bine de 9,4 milioane de unitaţi v�ndute, Opel a prezentat in 2006 a patra generaţie a acestui model de clasă mică. Pe langă platforma tehnica şi designul complet noi, Corsa se prezinta si cu gadgeturi interesante cum ar fi volanul �ncălzit sau sistemul �Flex-Fix� pentru transportul bicicletelor.

�n prezent sunt disponibile două versiuni de caroserie, cu trei sau cinci uşi si mai multe propulsoare, benzina sau diesel, ce pot fi cuplate la cutii de viteze manuale sau automate. �n funcţie de nivelul de echipare, Corsa poate dispune de faruri adaptive, airbaguri frontale in două stadii, airbaguri laterale in fată si �cortină� pentru �ntreaga latime a habitaclului, precum si ABS sau ESP cu CBC si SLS (Straight Line Stability Control).

�n Rom�nia automobilul este disponibil la v�nzare din luna octombrie a acestui an.

[LaScurt]

Numai modele de real succes de piata in Romania au castigat titlul pana acum:
- 2006 - Honda Civic
- 2005 - Mitsubishi Colt
- 2004 - Fiat Panda
- 2003 - Mazda 6
- 2002 - Citroen C3

[the1]

Corsa se vinde deja bine in Romania. S-Max chiar era mai putin reprezentativ pt piata locala.

[the1]

Masina Anului... sectiunea ''vesela''.

Peugeot 207- cea mai gay masina

Intr-o lume in care orice masina este asociata cu o tipa cit mai decoltata, sud-africanii de la wheels24he au venit cu trei premii mai ciudate, aduna te sub umbrela Alternative Car of the Year. Rezultatele sint un pic surprinzatoare, pentru ca cea mai gay masina a fost declarata Peugeot 207, asa ca aveti grija ce va cumparati. In schimb, cea mai macho masina (si aici sint de acord) a fost desemnata Audi RS4. In fine, al treilea premiu, pentru cel mai sexy fund, a fost oferit Alfei Brera.
Gay car
1. Peugeot 207: 7 155 voturi
2. BMW 3 Series Coupe: 3 378
3. Jaguar XK: 2 571
4. Honda Civic Hatch: 1 776
5. Alfa Romeo 159: 1 293
Straight car:
1. Audi RS4: 9 824
2. Toyota Fortuner: 2 629
3. Dodge Caliber: 1 808
4. VW Jetta: 979
4. Lexus IS250: 936

Sexiest rear-end:
1. Alfa Brera: 6 608
2. BMW Z4 Coupe: 5 722
3. Opel Astra GTC: 2 270
4. Renault Clio: 1 071
5. Nissan Tiida: 505

Cam ciudat top... 159 si Seria 3 Coupe nu mi se par deloc masini de hairstylist.

[andrei041]

Toyota Fortuner arata binisor Tiida insa ... ... mai bine importau Megane'ul

[the1]

Hopaaa... acum mi-am dat seama. Iar au fost 2 editii separate Masina Anului in Romania. De fapt, versiunea veche a concursului abia astazi si-a desemnat castigatorul. Opel Corsa, evident. Cealalta competitie a aparut de cativa ani, in plus, si de atunci au avut loc numai certuri intre organizatori. Aceeasi Romanie, Simply Surprising. Certuri... capra vecinului... a mea e mai tare... etc. Sucks.

OPEL CORSA este Masina Anului 2007 in Romania

Opel Corsa a castigat premiul �Masina Anului 2007 in Romania�. Cu un total de 145 de puncte, castigatorul a devansat Fiat Grade Punto cu 14 puncte, in timp ce Peugeot 207 a iesit pe locul al treilea cu un total de 123 puncte. 5 membrii ai juriului au votat Opel Corsa ca fiind castigator, iar alti 3 membrii ai juriului au plasat Grande Punto pe prima treapta a podiumului, Peugeot reusind sa obtina, doar, un singur loc 1.

Juriul a fost format din 14 membri de la cele mai prestigioase reviste si posturi de televiziune: Florin Micu (AutoExpert), Dan Cimpean (Roata de rezerva), Lorena Stroe (Auto Test), Robert Stan (Banii Nostri), Teodor Stefan (Autoshow), Razvan Spiridon (Men's Health), Daniel Costea (Quattroruote), Dorin Chioţea (ProSport), Radu Grozea (TVR), Gabi Gogiu (Autoforum), Virgil Mihailovici (Autostrada), Alexandru Sincan, Corneliu Belciug (Realitatea TV), Liviu Rusu (FHM).

Cu aceasta ocazie a fost marcata implinirea a 10 ani de la infiintarea Asociatiei Presei Auto din Romania (APAR), prilej cu care Domnul Florin Micu, actualul Presedinte APAR a declarat :� Competitia �Masina Anului in Romania� s-a desfasurat de-a lungul celor 10 ani in conformitate cu regulile europene a unei competitii de acest gen�. Invitat de onoare al APAR a fost Domnul Viorel Niculescu, fost Director General la Romcar, care a castigat cu Ford Focus prima editie a competitiei � Masina Anului in Romania�, precum si alte editii ulterioare cu Ford Mondeo si Mazda 6.

APAR a pus la dispozitia presei toate documentele, eliberate de OSIM, care certifica existenta unei singure licente � Masina Anului in Romania�. Aceasta marca inregistrata reprezinta rezultatul activitatii APAR in acesti 10 ani.

http://www.autoshow....municat_x_5.jpg

Nr. crt Masina Punctaj final
1 Opel Corsa 145
2 Fiat Grande Punto 131
3 Peugeot 207 123
4 Hyundai Santa Fe 109
5 Toyota RAV4 84
6 Ford S Max 83
7 Citroen C4 Picasso 81
8 Skoda Roomster 50
9 Volvo S80 48
10 Chevrolet Aveo 28

[LaScurt]

ptiu, drace!

[nicukla]

tipu de langa Vardie a cantat la mine la nunta,e chitarist.

[the1]

Tu vorbesti serios? Parca e ziarist din cate stiu.

[nicukla]

e ziarist la TVR dar canta si intr-o formatie cam din anii '80.Stelian Damov i-l cheama.

[the1]

Ah! Tare. Si Vardie? E si el tzambalagiu?

Aceasta postare a fost editata de the1: 21 decembrie 2006 - 03:38

[nicukla]

Stelian Damov a fost desemnat ziaristul anului 2006 in domeniu auto.

[the1]

GM Clean Sweep: Saturn Aura And Chevy Silverado Take North American Car & Truck Of The Year

General Motors got off to a strong start today when it took both the 2007 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards with its Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Silverado. The pool of contenders was voted on by 49 automotive journalist, including WINDING ROAD staffer Jim McCraw (who incidentally voted for, and predicted both vehicles).

Interestingly, both vehicles won their respective categories by quite a margin, with the Aura tallying 205 points (the Honda Fit was the next closest with 176 points, and the Toyota Camry came in a distance third with 89 points), and the Silverado garnering 243 points (Mazda’s CX-7 grabbed 176, Ford’s Edge received 92).

For those keeping score at home, domestic automakers have won the Car of the Year award seven of the last 14 years, the Europeans have won four times, and the Japanese have taken home the hardware on three occasions.

Over the same period, the Truck of the Year award has been won by domestics nine times, while the Japanese have won three times, and the Europeans twice.

Aceasta postare a fost editata de the1: 08 ianuarie 2007 - 02:02

[the1]

On the eve of the Detroit Auto Show, Road and Travel Magazine hosted the annual International Car of the Year Awards ceremony, and without further ado, we'll tell you that Lexus and GM were the big winners. The automagically self-parking Lexus LS 460 sedan garnered top honors on the car side, while GM scored the trophy for International Truck of the year with its new Silverado Crew Cab pickup.

Other ICOTY category honorees included:

* Sports Car: Jaguar XK
* Sedan: Toyota Camry
* Luxury Car: Lexus LS 460
* Minivan: Hyundai Entourage
* Entry Level: Mazdaspeed3
* Crossover: Mazda CX-7

[the1]

Masinile anului votate de cititorii a 18 reviste europene (inclusiv ams.ro).

Last year we asked you to name your favourite cars � from superminis to supercars, we wanted to know what you really rated. We also asked the readers of 17 of our sister magazines across Europe. Just under 300,000 people responded, and the results make for interesting reading.

Not surprisingly, there was plenty of patriotism � good news for the ever-declining British car industry � but there were some pretty unusual results, too.

City cars

The new British-built Mini was the favourite city slicker everywhere apart from Italy, where the home-grown Fiat Panda won the day. It appears it's not just us at Autocar who like the new Suzuki Swift either � it came a very close second.

Superminis

We like the new Corsa, and so do you � it easily won, getting top votes from most countries. But the French preferred the Peugeot 207 and Renault Clio, and the Italians the Fiat Punto.

Small family hatches

We Brits voted the Swindon-made Honda Civic as top hatch, but slightly bafflingly the Audi A3 won overall across Europe. The Focus and Astra were nowhere to be seen.

Medium family car

If there's such a thing as a sure thing, the BMW 3-series is it. It easily got the most votes in this category, putting it ahead of the Lexus IS and Alfa 159. Unless you're French, of course, in which case the Peugeot 407 came top.

Large family car

BMW's got this one wrapped up as well, with a clear victory for the 5-series, ahead of the Audi A6 and Mercedes CLS. Curiously, however, the Germans much preferred the A6.

Luxury cars

If you asked most Autocar staffers to name their favourite luxury car, it'd probably be a toss-up between the Merc S-class, Rolls-Royce Phantom and Range Rover. Being a 4x4, the Rangie didn�t fall into this category, and so couldn't win, but we're pretty surprised that no one, from Finland to Greece, voted for the Phantom as number one. Even in Britain the Phantom only managed to be second-favourite, just ahead of the S-class. Our favourite? The Maserati Quattroporte, which also tied for first across Europe with the Audi A8.

Convertibles

We didn't make up the categories here, so we can't really explain why this one covers everything from the Micra C+C to the Lambo Murcielago roadster. It's not much of a surprise, therefore, to learn that the rather wonderful Ferrari F430 Spider came top overall We Brits liked the Lamborghini Gallardo drop-top best, just ahead of the Mercedes SL and the Aston Martin DB9.

Sports cars

Start playing some Elgar, because we Brits voted the Aston V8 Vantage best sports car, and the DB9 second-best. Even our third favourite, the Mercedes SLR SLR, is built in Blighty.

Inevitably, however, we must bow to the unnatural force that is the Porsche 911, which won overall across Europe by a huge margin.

Off-roaders

More Elgar, please. And perhaps some steak-and-kidney pudding. In order, we rated the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Land Rover Discovery as top of the mud-pluggers. Unfortunatley, however, our European friends were less discerning, voting the mammoth Audi Q7 best overall, followed by the BMW X5. And we thought this category was off-roaders�

MPVs

Last but not by any means least, it's the MPVs, and the Ford S-Max can add to its Car of the Year gong with a victory in our poll, beating the Renault Espace and the Mercedes B-class. The Fiat Doblo never stood a chance.