The 2016 Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) has been awarded to the Subaru Impreza after defeating the Toyota Prius for the top prize. This is the second JCOTY trophy bagged by Subaru, following the Legacy’s victory in its native land 13 years ago.
The new Subaru Impreza, available in both sedan and hatchback forms, is built atop the company’s new Global Platform. Launched at the New York Motor Show earlier this year, the new Impreza has been a tremendous sales success in Japan. The car also found success among the judges, with a final tally of 420 votes compared to the Prius’ 371.
President and CEO of Fuji Heavy Industries, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said “It is a great honour that the Impreza has been recognised with this distinctive award. I would like to thank our customers, suppliers and shareholders for their continued support for Subaru and I am grateful to all those who contributed to this achievement. We will continue to enhance our efforts to offer an ‘enjoyment and peace of mind’ driving experience to all customers.”
In the import category, the Audi A4 B9 became the jurors’ favourite European car, thus winning the “Import Car of the Year” trophy for the Ingolstadt carmaker. Nissan’s ProPilot driver assist technology in the Serena won them the Innovation Award.
The BMW M2 bagged the Emotional Award for the most engaging driver’s car this year. Sadly, the Honda NSX didn’t make the running, but it went home with a special award for the revolutionary twin-turbo hybrid V6 powertrain.
