28.02.03
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
Top Gear Magazine Awards 2003 - The Ford Focus RS is Car of the
Year
Mercedes-Benz
have scooped three of the twelve annual Top Gear Awards and Peugeot
and Honda both won two but the star Awards, 'Best Driver's Car'
and overall 'Car of the Year 2003', have gone to the Ford Focus
RS, Ford's new 'hot hatchback'.
The
Awards are published in full in the April issue of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Top Gear
Magazine (on sale February 28th). Every year the Top Gear test team
drives over 300 new cars hundreds of thousands of miles on roads
and tracks in Britain and all over the world before coming to its
conclusions on the winners.
The
sporty Ford Focus RS has been a Top Gear favourite since it was
launched last autumn but still had to beat off stiff competition
from cars as diverse as the Ferrari Enzo supercar to the little
Honda Jazz for the overall title.
"It's
a car that proves driving can still be fun," said Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Top Gear
magazine editor, Kevin Blick, "and at a time when all we hear
is about new restrictions on the motorist that is important to remember."
Other
Award winners include Mercedes-Benz who have won 'Best Executive
Car' for its new E-Class, 'Best Coupe' for the CLK and Best Convertible
with the SL.
"A very impressive performance," said Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Top Gear magazine
motoring editor Angus Frazer, "Mercedes has developed an outstanding
range of new models."
Honda's
innovative Jazz wins 'Best Small Car' while the new Accord takes
'Best Medium Car'.
Peugeot's
307 is 'Best Compact Car' for the second year running and the seven-seater
version, the 307 SW becomes 'Best Family Car'.
'Best
4x4' goes to the new Volvo XC90. 'Best Value Car' is the keenly
priced Citroen Picasso people-carrier - whilst right at the opposite
end of the scale the 'Ultimate Dream Car title goes to the F1-derived
Ferrari Enzo which boasts a Β£418,000 price tag.
Previous
Top Gear Car of the Year winners include the Range Rover (2002),
Ford Mondeo (2001) and Fiat Multipla (2000).
Notes to editors:
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Top Gear magazine is Britain's best-selling general motoring
monthly, with a circulation of 144,104 (ABC: Jul - Dec 2002). It
is published by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines - a division of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide Ltd,
the main commercial arm of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide does not use licence
fee income for its activities and re-invests in public service programming.
In 2001/2002 Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide returned Β£106 million to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ.
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