LONDON: BMW i8 has grabed the coveted UK car of the year – UKCOTY 2015 award and the UKCOTY 2015 – Performance car of the year marking a second consecutive win for the Bavarian automaker’s ‘i’ series vehicle in UK.
The automotive industry has seen many hybrid models in recent years, but nothing quite like the i8″, said John Challen Managing Director of UK Car of the Year Awards, and Editor of ukcoty.co.uk.
Challen added that when companies use the term ‘game-changer’, it is sometimes overused, but in case of the BMW i8, it is totally justified.
The latest ‘i’ model completely redefines the performance car segment, and is helped by a hybrid powertrain that is really quite special”, he added.
BMW i8 was launched in 2014 and packs a combination of a 1.5-litre, three-cylinder engine and 96kW electric motor. BMW UK CEO Graeme Grieve describes the i8 as a culmination of years of investment, hard work and commitment to create the world’s most progressive sports car.
As far as the UK Car of the Year Awards are concerned, they are judged by 27 of Britain’s most-read motoring journalists. Each judge uses their expertise to pick out the top performer in 12 vehicle categories, before deciding the overall winner from their favourites in each class.