2015 North American Car & Truck/Utility of the Year awards announced

As the curtains went up for the 2015 edition of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit a few hours back, the winners of one of the most anticipated awards in the automotive industry were announced. Now in their twenty second year, the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards are considered significant as they represent the collective opinion of 57 jurors from all forms of automotive media - magazines, newspapers, television, websites and radio.

To be eligible for this award, a car or truck/utility should be either all-new or substantially changed from the previous model year, priced less than $100,000 and must have an annual foreseeable North American sales of 5000 units for cars and 2000 units for trucks. From the initial list of vehicles that were eligible for the award, the jurors picked up three finalists for each category last month. In cars, Ford Mustang, Hyundai Genesis and Volkswagen Golf/GTI made the cut while Chevrolet Colorado, Ford F150 and Lincoln MKC were the trucks/utilities chosen for the final showdown.

When the final votes were tallied and announced live in front of gathered audience on the inaugural day of the North American International Auto Show today, it was Volkswagen and Ford that registered their names in the honour roll. Yes, the Golf/GTI is the 2015 North American Car of the Year while the F-150 took the 2015 North American Truck/Utility of the Year title.

The Golf has been a recipient of many an award before, including the highly coveted 2013 World Car of the Year title. Praised worldover for its pleasing yet evolutionary design, spacious interiors, fun-to-drive nature, an array of technologies under the hood and safety equipment, the Golf romped home with a fair margin over its competitors. In fact, the Ford Mustang seems to have given the Golf a hard time while Hyundai's highly impressive Genesis was a distant third in the final tally.

2015 NACOTY RESULTS:

1. Volkswagen Golf/GTI - 256

2. Ford Mustang - 204

3. Hyundai Genesis - 110

PREVIOUS NACOTY WINNERS:

* 2014 - Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

* 2013 - Cadillac ATS

* 2012 - Hyundai Elantra

* 2011 - Chevrolet Volt

* 2010 - Ford Fusion Hybrid

Moving over to America's favourite bodystyle, the country's favourite truck walked away with the award this time around. Taking the title from its cut-throat competitor from General Motors, Ford's revolutionary aluminium-bodied F-150 with a host of advancements all over nailed it, distancing itself quite comfortably from the competing Silverado. But the Chevy can take solace from the fact that it crushed the other finalist, the Lincoln MKC, by scoring thrice as many points.

2015 NATOTY RESULTS:

1. Ford F-150 - 261

2. Chevrolet Silverado - 142

3. Lincoln MKC - 87

PREVIOUS NATOTY WINNERS:

* 2014 - Chevrolet Silverado

* 2013 - Ram 1500

* 2012 - Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

* 2011 - Ford Explorer

* 2010 - Ford Transit Connect

For those who do not remember, Chevrolet swept the 2014 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards, with it's Corvette Stingray and Silverado emerging victorious last year.

2014 Top Selling Cars - USA

China might have stolen the limelight from the United States of America as the world’s largest automobile market, but the significance of American consumers and their buying preferences are extremely important to the well-being of the industry. No, we aren't going overboard. If not for the fantastic recovery of the American market that contributed significantly to their profits, it wouldn't have been possible for many global automakers to mitigate the difficult business conditions in Europe, Russia and some markets in the Asia Pacific region.

It’s business as usual for Ford Motor Company with the ‘Blue Oval’ emerging as the most popular automobile brand in America, selling 2.37 million units. Just behind Ford, Toyota and Chevrolet slugged it out, with the Japanese manufacturer managing to pip the bow-tie brand by just 30,000 units with a sales tally of 2.06 million units. Honda and Nissan finished a distant fourth and fifth, posting 1.37 and 1.26 million units respectively.

Moving on, let’s take a look at the cars and trucks that the Americans embraced in 2014. Just like the Indian market, the top ten best-selling automobiles in America are pretty much a carbon copy of 2013 with a lone exception and some models interchanging positions.

Enough has been said about the dominance of Ford’s F-Series trucks in the American market last year and the year before and in 2011 and so on. Nothing changed in 2014. F-Series topped the sales charts for a 33rd year running with more than 750,000 customers putting their money on the truck. 2013’s runner-up Chevrolet Silverado finished second last year as well, but posted a big jump in sales at 529,755 units. With cumulative sales of 439,789 units, Ram’s light duty pickup trucks posted an ever bigger jump of almost 25% and closed the gap to leaders handsomely. In all this, the 2014 podium became an all-truck affair, proving a well-known point to the analysts again.

If 2014 was a good year for trucks in the American market, the reducing gas prices and positive buyer sentiments could make 2015 an even better one for these so-called gas guzzlers. But for now, cars outnumber trucks and utilities in the top ten list. Swarmed by sedans all around, Honda’s CR-V is the only other truck/utility apart from the top three, finishing the year in eighth position with 335,000 odd units.

Despite a healthy improvement over 2013, Toyota’s Camry has been pushed off the podium, but just. With 428,606 Americans reposing their faith in the midsize sedan and a further 339,498 customers signing up for the Corolla, Toyota is as strong as ever in the US of A. Sandwiching the two Toyotas at number five is their arch-rival from Japan, the Honda Accord. This, along with the Civic that’s the ninth largest-selling car with 325,981 units sold, makes Honda the brand with the most number of entries in the top ten list. Posting a sales figure of 335,644 units, Nissan Altima adds to the Japan tally. Rounding off the list is Ford’s Fusion that replaces its stablemate Escape in the list.

2014 Top Selling Cars in America:

1. Ford F-Series - 753,851

2. Chevrolet Silverado - 529,755

3. Ram 1500-3500 - 439,789

4. Toyota Camry - 428,606

5. Honda Accord - 388,374

6. Toyota Corolla - 339,498

7. Nissan Altima - 335,644

8. Honda CR-V - 335,019

9. Honda Civic - 325,981

10. Ford Fusion - 306,860

Source for sales figures: www.forbes.com

| Stars of 2014 - The Big Three Pickup Trucks |

| Promise of 2015 - Ford F150 |

Amidst hues and cries to shift to smaller, more efficient and less polluting cars, Americans reaffirmed their affinity towards trucks and Ford, Chevrolet and Ram were there to capitalize with either generation changes or mid-cycle refreshes. That makes the big three trucks the stars of 2014. Having gone on sale recently, the groundbreaking all-aluminium F150 is not just gambling on the lightweight metal, but is hoping to be a trendsetter of sorts in the truck segment. That’s where we place our bets for 2015. Will the F-Series increase the gap at the top further? Let’s wait and watch.

Considering the sheer size of the market and the number of models on sale, restricting the top selling cars to just ten isn't fair. But then, most of the next ten best-selling cars are all again from Ford, Toyota and Chevrolet. Hyundai and GMC are the only new brands out there, with the Elantra, Sonata and Sierra slotting in commendable positions.

In the battle of supremacy in the luxury segment, Mercedes-Benz has posted highest sales of 356,136 units. The caveat here is that number includes commercial vehicles too. That could make BMW, with a sales tally of 339,738 cars, the most popular luxury brand in America. Lexus comes a close third while Audi is a distant fourth followed by Acura and Infiniti.

2014 Top Selling Cars - India

Having stepped into the new year, it’s time for us to look at what clicked and what didn't in the Indian market last year. For those who have been regularly following our automotive industry, 2014 would be hardly surprising. Maruti-Suzuki continues to be the undisputed leader but, that apart, the year belonged to Hyundai, Mahindra and Honda with all three brands enjoying successful new launches on top of the established best-sellers that they roll out.

Suzuki might have packed their bags from the United States of America, they might be fighting hard to keep their market share from falling in Europe and Australia, they might lag far behind Toyota, Honda and Nissan in their home country Japan, but their vice-like grip over the Indian market seem to be only getting stronger and stronger with each passing year. 2014 was another fantastic year for Maruti-Suzuki, with the company scaling new heights in an increasingly competitive market flooded with brands from across the globe. And that, dear folks, include the behemoths Toyota, Volkswagen and General Motors. With the exception of Hyundai and, of late, Honda, every other global car-manufacturer seem to be struggling to gauge the pulse of discerning Indian consumers the way Suzuki did.

When the cumulative sales figures of 2014 were put together, the list of top-selling cars was surprisingly similar to the year before.

Like 2013, Maruti-Suzuki dominates the list with five out of the top ten best-sellers wearing the ‘S’ badge. The country’s long-time best-seller Alto continues its reign at the top with cumulative sales of 264,544 units. With the Alto K10 equipped with a more powerful engine and an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) joining the line up recently, we wouldn't be surprised to see Alto’s numbers going up further in 2015. Flanking the Alto in the podium are the Swift siblings, with both models selling more than 200,000 units each. Here’s the surprise - the compact sedan Dzire outsold the hatchback and is the second largest selling car in India.

Wagon-R comes next, clocking close to 160,000 units. More than the figure, what’s impressive is the amazing consistency with which this Japanese tallboy successfully fends off competition from newer models in the market. At number nine, the other Maruti-Suzuki in the list is the one we wish doesn't sell as much as it does, the venerable Omni. Launched almost three decades back with bare-bones interiors and questionable safety, the ability to carry upto eight passengers at the cheapest cost is what makes this minivan appealing to cost-conscious semi-urban and rural Indians.

As we predicted last year, Hyundai’s Grand i10 lived up to its promise and was the best-selling non-Suzuki car in India at number five. Finding 103,749 customers last year, the Grand i10, along with the Eon and i20 that also make it to the top ten with around 150,000 units between them, puts Hyundai in a very good position in the Indian market. To be honest though, we expected the Grand i10 to post much higher numbers and challenge the Wagon-R, which hasn’t happened. Nevertheless, the new Elite i20 is setting the sales charts on fire and is already the best-selling Hyundai model for two months running. Watch out for it, and the upcoming ix25, in 2015!

We aren't sure if Mahindra has decoded what clicks for the Bolero in India yet, but the rugged utility vehicle posts yet another stellar year with sales a notch over 100,000 units. At number six, the Bolero is India’s most popular UV by a country mile. With the development of its successor already underway, the Bolero's graph could climb further north. Honda replaces Toyota in the top ten list with the City finishing 2014 as the eighth best-selling car. It not only outsold the competition by a big margin, but also is the most expensive car in the list.

2014 Top Selling Cars in India:

1. Maruti-Suzuki Alto - 264,544

2. Maruti-Suzuki Swift Dzire - 210,882

3. Maruti-Suzuki Swift - 202,831

4. Maruti-Suzuki Wagon-R - 159,260

5. Hyundai Grand i10 - 103,749

6. Mahindra Bolero - 102,045

7. Hyundai Eon - 80,346

8. Honda City - 77,320

9. Maruti-Suzuki Omni - 74,498

10. Hyundai i20 - 69,116

Source for sales figures: www.team-bhp.com (Monthly Sales Charts)

| Star of 2014 - Honda City |

| Promise of 2015 - Hyundai i20 |

A perennial best-seller since its launch in 1998, the City, then in its third generation, was finding the going tough due to the absence of an oil-burner under the hood. Just when the competition got a bit complacent, Honda launched the all-new City, this time with a diesel engine too. That was it. The City decimated its opponents including the top-selling Verna, at times selling more than all its competitors combined, making it our star of 2014. Similarly, Hyundai’s second-generation i20 is rewriting the rules of premium hatchback segment with never-seen-before sales. With Hyundai’s production capacity cited as its only constraint and the discontinuation of Santro freeing up space, the Elite i20 holds a lot of promise for 2015.

Outside the top ten, Maruti-Suzuki’s Celerio and Ertiga had a good outing last year, as did Honda Amaze, Toyota Innova, Hyundai Xcent and Ford Ecosport, each of them selling more than 50,000 units. Toyota proved its mettle with it's Innova, Corolla and Fortuner topping their respective segments convincingly.

In the higher echelons, Audi continues its stint at the top as the best-selling luxury automotive brand in India. Having crossed the 10,000 units milestone in November, Audi has distanced itself well from its challengers. But, it was the three-pointed star that shone bright in 2014, with sales of 10,201 units, an all-time record. True to its name, it really was an 'Year of Excellence' for Mercedes-Benz that is quickly closing in on Audi. Both these brands are quick to launch their new models in India, relegating the relatively sluggish BMW, the top-selling luxury brand not so long ago, to the third spot. Jaguar and Volvo continue to remain fringe players, unable to crack the strong brand image enjoyed by the three Germans.

Mahindra celebrates 5 millionth vehicle roll out

Part of the US $16.5 billion business conglomerate employing 200,000 people across 100 countries with 18 diversified interests, Mahindra & Mahindra is one of the leading automobile manufacturers in India. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company celebrated a significant milestone today with the roll out of its 5 millionth vehicle. To commemorate the event, Mahindra had formed a human chain of 3000 employees standing from Nariman Point to Girgaon Chowpatty in Mumbai today.

Despite boasting an entire portfolio of vehicles, Mahindra is known more for its utility vehicles that are not only popular but also enjoy supreme loyalty. So, it was fitting that a red-colored Thar, the brand's popular lifestyle off-roader, did the honors of being the 5 millionth vehicle. Given that Mahindra has been manufacturing jeeps since 1947, the 5 million milestone might not seem significant. But, the last 1 million of those came in just over two years, which is extremely laudable. All the six automotive plants of Mahindra in Chakan, Nasik, Haridwar, Zaheerabad, Kandivali and the engine plant in Igatpuri contributed to this landmark achievement.

Having manufactured old-school jeeps and rugged utility vehicles for decades, the launch of Scorpio in 2002 was a turnaround in Mahindra's history. Hitherto catering to the rural markets of our country, the Scorpio widened the brand's appeal to the urban populace and there was no looking back ever since. In fact, the Bolero continues to be India's largest-selling utility vehicle for quite some years now and would have contributed handsomely to the total volumes. Over the years, Mahindra acquired the bankrupt South Korean utility vehcile manufacturer Ssangyong, the Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker Reva and also launched the XUV500 premium SUV, a model that was not just a quantum leap for the brand but also designed with global aspirations. The product onslaught is all set to continue, with the upcoming compact SUV (codenamed S101) that we spotted testing, slated to be the next big launch.

Reflecting on this significant milestone, Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group, said, “This roll out of our 5 millionth vehicle marks an important milestone in our automotive journey over the past seven decades. It is also a reflection of the commitment and can-do spirit of our people who continually strive to raise their game while producing world class vehicles”.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. had this to say, “Today marks a momentous and landmark day in the history of Mahindra’s Automotive Division. There are few companies which can identify as closely with India’s destiny and industrial progress as Mahindra can. In our evolving journey to becoming India’s leading SUV manufacturer, we have pushed the boundaries and taken on new challenges at every step. I dedicate this achievement to each and every member of the Mahindra family.”

We drove the improved 2014 XUV500 and found it to be an extremely attractive proposition in the burgeoning SUV segment. If Mahindra continues working on the same formula, the next 5 million milestone isn't going to take too long. Go Mahindra, rise!

Travelogue #13 - A day out in Mauritius

Imagine you are an Indian traveling abroad on vacation. You are an automotive enthusiast and, given a chance, you would take a car or hop on a motorcycle and explore the new country all by yourself. A lot of frequent travelers you have spoken to have convinced you that a road trip abroad is an absolute must-do. But, mere thoughts of complicated paperwork and hassles of getting an international driving permit had stopped you all along, ensuring that driving outside India remains an elusive dream. For folks like you, this travelogue would be refreshing. There are countries where you can show up, rent a car and drive out with just your Indian license. Mauritius, the beautiful island nation off the southeastern coast of African continent, is one of them. 

On a recent vacation to the country, with a full day to spare, we set out to explore the length and breadth of Mauritius, basking in the coastal sunshine, soaking in sudden tropical outbursts, gawking at the pristine waters, taking detours at will, ending up at places that we couldn’t have imagined on a package tour and clicking photographs that would last in our memories for a lifetime. Yes, all this and more in just a day! But then, Mauritius is an incredibly small country, 65 km long and 45 km wide with a land area of just over 1800 square meters.

Knowing that the entire day was ours, we planned a 8 AM start from our resort that was located in the north-eastern coast. The idea was to go north for as much as the roads would allow us, then head down south to the tip of the island before taking the freeway back to our resort. We decided to skip the more popular tourist sports that are anyway part of the package tours.

Bain Boeuf was the first destination we stumbled upon, a small, rocky beach that's almost the northern-most part of the island. Though the water here isn't deep enough for a swim, we loved the place for its calmness and the spectacular views of the Gunners Quoin island over the turquoise blue waters. With the beaches at Grand Baie, Pereybere and Mont Choisy nearby attracting all the crowds, Bain Boeuf is a must-visit if some private time is what you are looking for.

Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam Botanical Gardens, one of the most popular tourist spots in Mauritius that was surprisingly left out in our package tour, was the next stop. Located in Pamplemousses that's not far off from the capital city of Port Louis, the gardens are home to an incredible variety of plants, some indigenous and many painstakingly collected from other parts of the world. Not the ones keen on the botanical stuff, we found the giant water lilies and the many varieties of palm trees interesting.

A far cry from the crowded tourist spots in India, solitude was all that we wanted when we set out exploring Mauritius. La Nicolere, a reservoir in Pamlemousses district, offered just that. Located some distance off the highway connecting Pamplemousses and Central Flacq, La Nicolere hardly attracts tourists and is frequented only by locals. As if the splendid views offered by the lake, the reservoir and the mountain in the background weren't enough, the road that took us there with endless stretches of sugarcane fields on either sides was exciting too.

Palmar public beach, the next destination, was more of an impromptu stop, as we were looking for a place to grab a quick bite and this was right on the main road. Imagine filling your appetite, perched leisurely on a rock in a sleepy little beach overlooking the azure blue waters with not a soul around. That's precisely what we did.

Vieux Grand Port, which was once the Old Grand Port, is the oldest settlement in Mauritius, the place where the first inhabitants of the island landed in the fifteenth century. Unfortunately for us, the Frederik Hendrik Museum was closed and we were left to spend time in the coastal fort further south, guarded by cannons. They are still there, albeit used by us as photo ops.

Souillac, capital of Savanne district at the southernmost part of the mainland, offers some interesting tourist attractions. Gris Gris, a haunted beach as its history says, is anything but that. Teeming with tourists, Gris Gris is probably the only one that lives up to the 'beach' tag. Incredibly windy, accompanied by the thundering sound of waves crashing over the cliffs and the ocean hiding significant depths not far off the shore, this was more like the beaches that we see in India. A vintage railway station where the country's first and only railway was operational decades back and a historic police station that's still functional are the other places of interested in the vicinity.

With our plan to visit Le Morne Brabant, one of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Mauritius, cut short due to ongoing road work in the area, we joined M1, the most important freeway in the country that connects the SSR international airport to Port Louis. With all the other single lane roads restricting speeds at 60 km/h, the M1, with multiple lanes on either direction and a 110 km/h speed limit, was a breath of fresh air. Port Louis beckoned us in less than 30 minutes with the Aapravasi Ghat, the other UNESCO World Heritage site, being our next stop.

Basically an Immigration Depot of the colonial past through which thousands of indentured labourers from India and other countries passed through to work in the plantations of Mauritius, a British Empire back then, three stone buildings and fourteen steps that lead to the harbour are all that's left of this historically-important monument. With strong emotions floating around and darkness setting in, it was time to call it a day. 

It might have been an anti-climactic end, but this was a day well spent. Forget the popular but highly commercial package tours. The real attributes of Mauritius, the serene, calm and peaceful country that it is and it's warm, friendly and helpful people comes to the fore when explored on our own. The next time you think of Mauritius, you know what to do!

On the way back to the airport next day, we hopped into the capital city unmindful of the fact that it gets incredibly crowded in the mornings and evenings. Though Port Louis is trying hard to look modern and, at times, convincingly so, it's colonial past shines through in between. And that's what makes it cheerful.

THE AUTOMOBILE:

Mauritius has a flourishing car-rental business and we chose Maki Car Rentals based on the positive online reviews. True to what was said, it was a hassle-free experience with them throughout. We would not think twice to suggest them for those interested in renting out a self-drive car in Mauritius.

Coming back to our ride, Mitsubishi Lancer it was! Despite having more than 100000 km on the odo, the car was pretty flawless and utterly reliable throughout our stint with it. Though the engine appeared to have lost steam especially at higher revs, the Lancer proved who was the boss in the narrow and twisty roads of Mauritius. The seating position was spot on, all the controls fell perfectly in place and the steering response was so precise that we went a bit overboard a couple of times. It was the tires at the end of their lives that grounded us back. Coming back home, we couldn't stop feeling jealous of those who are still in possession of their Lancers and Cedias. And, the lesser we talk about HM and the way they killed this brilliant car, the better.

TRAVELOGUE STATISTICS:

* Destination: Exploring Mauritius

* Route driven: Grand Gaube - Bain Boeuf - Pamplemousses - Palmar - Souillac - Port Louis - Grand Gaube

* Total distance covered: 214 km

* Toll & Parking Charges: 25 Mauritian Rupees

* Number of days: 1 

* Vehicle Make & Model: Mitsubishi Lancer 

* Odometer Start: 110382 km

* Odometer End: 110596 km

* Average trip fuel efficiency: App. 10 km/l

* Best time to visit: June - October

* What not to forget: Stick to the speed limits (60 km/h on most roads and 110 km/h on the freeway). This is no India!

* Fun Tip: How about renting out a Mini Cabriolet? Expensive, yes. But, wind-in-the-hair on a sunny day at the beach is sheer bliss, isn't it?

* Health Tip: Exercise caution when wetting your feet - the shallow waters dwarf the distance to the shore.