Nominations for the World Car of the Year 2017 (WCOTY) were announced at the Paris Motor Show in September, 2016. The nominations have been made in five categories – World Car of the Year, World Luxury/Performance Car, World Urban Car, World Green Car and the World Car Design of the Year. Interestingly, ‘Made-in-India’ Maruti Suzuki Baleno and the India-bound Ignis crossover have secured their names in the 2017 World Urban Car of the Year category. Other nominations in this category include BMW i3, Ford Ka+, Smart Cabriolet, Smart Brabus, Citroen E-Mehari and Citroen C3.
The WCOTY, a non-profit committee of automotive journalists from across the world, will announce the top three finalists from each category at the New York Auto Show on 13 April, 2017. The vehicles eligible for WCOTY awards must be new and available on sales in at least in five nations across two continents. If we specifically talk about the World Urban Car of the Year category, the shortlisted nominees should be sub-4 meter in length while fitting in the aforementioned criteria. The nominated vehicles will go through a series of tests and drives that will be performed in batches. Read – Maruti Suzuki to Launch 10 New Cars in India Within Next 2 Years
Launched in October 2015, the Maruti Baleno has been performing well for the Japanese carmaker in India. The proof of this fact lies in the fact that the hatchback achieved 1 lakh sales milestone in less than a year. In addition to this, 33,800 Baleno units have been exported to European and Japanese markets. The hatchback is being produced at MSI’s Manesar plant near Gurgaon. Seeing its high demand, the Japanese carmaker is now gearing up to introduce its performance version – Baleno RS in India.
On the other hand, the Maruti Ignis crossover will be rolled out in the Indian market early next year. The crossover measures 3,700mm in length, and carries SUV-ish design with a high ground clearance. Estimated to be priced around Rs 5 lakh – Rs 7 lakh, the Ignis will gun straight against the Mahindra KUV100. Engine options for the India-spec model will be a 1.2-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel. Both these power mills do duty in the Swift and the Baleno. There will be two transmissions on offer – a 5-speed manual and an AMT. Read More About – 2017 Maruti S-Cross | 2017 Maruti Ciaz
