Time Auto Awards 2015 in partnership with ZigWheels celebrates the best of the Indian automotive industry

With the kind of growth shown by the Indian automotive industry, the country is gradually becoming a global hub for all things automotive. In the past few years, we have seen tremendous development in the world of automobiles with manufacturers now acknowledging the potential of the Indian market and are bringing in products to India accordingly. 2015 was a classic example, with cars like the Mercedes-AMG GT S, BMW i8 and more being brought to our shores, and more importantly, products like the Renault Kwid being developed and produced in India. The story is pretty similar when it comes to two-wheelers as well. Bike makers like Triumph, Benelli and Ducati officially coming to India is testimony of the same. And as the industry steps forward, some genuinely excellent cars and motorcycles have made their much-awaited Indian debuts. 

In the 8th year since its inception, the Times Auto Awards 2015 in partnership with ZigWheels celebrates that excellence. Over the course of all these years, the awards have become one of the most coveted recognitions in the Indian Automotive sector. To maintain high standards and absolute transparency, a panel of esteemed jury members put each of the nominated cars and bikes through an exhaustive testing process to find out the best of the best. This year, the Jury Round was held at the Madras Motor Race Track in Sriperumbudur, Chennai.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel in Greater Noida played host to the who’s who of the Indian Automotive world on February 4 for the Times Auto Awards 2015 in partnership with ZigWheels. The top awards of the night – Car of the Year and Bike of the Year – were won by the Hyundai Creta and the Bajaj Pulsar RS200 respectively. The Creta also grabbed top spot in the SUV/UV of the Year category while the Pulsar RS200 also took home the top honours in the Executive Bike of the Year category. Yamaha India also bagged a couple of awards - Scooter of the year and the Entry-level Performance Bike of the Year. In the long list of categories, the most difficult one to evaluate was the Hatchback of the Year, which saw the Renault Kwid grab pole position. The Manufacturer of the Year awards went to Mercedes-Benz and DSK-Benelli for cars and bikes respectively. Ford India’s Figo Aspire was elevated to Sedan of the Year.

Going by the way the automotive industry has been growing in the recent years, expect 2016 to be even bigger and more diverse than 2015. With more products expected to be introduced, 2016 has all the makings of being an even more interesting one for enthusiasts and manufacturers alike.

Below is the list of all the winners in their respective categories. Click through to find out what our jury thought of it, and how it clinched the crown over its fellow nominees.

Readers’ Choice Car of the Year: Maruti Suzuki Baleno

Readers’ Choice Bike of the Year: Mahindra Mojo

Scooter of the Year: Yamaha Fascino

Bike of the Year (Up to 125cc): Honda Livo

Executive Bike of the Year: Bajaj Pulsar RS200

Entry-level Performance Bike of the Year: Yamaha YZF-R3

Premium Bike of the Year (Below 10 lakh): Ducati Scrambler

Premium Bike of the year (Above 10 lakh): Triumph Tiger XR

Hatchback of the Year: Renault Kwid

Sedan of the Year: Ford Figo Aspire

SUV/UV of the Year: Hyundai Creta

Luxury Car of the Year: Volvo XC90

Sportscar of the Year: Audi TT

Import Car of the Year: Mercedes-AMG C63 S

Manufacturer of the Year (Bike): DSK-Benelli

Manufacturer of the Year (Car): Mercedes-Benz

Motorsport Award of the Year: CS Santosh

Technology of the Year (Cars): BMW i8

Technology of the Year (Bikes): Kawasaki H2

Bike of the Year: Bajaj Pulsar RS200

Car of the Year: Hyundai Creta