The TURBOCHARGED awards are India’s youngest automotive awards, instituted with a single intent, to celebrate automotive excellence and recognise efforts put in by the Indian automobile industry. Vehicles that qualify for the awards have to meet pre-qualification criteria though. For our first ever awards we have considered vehicles launched in the country between December 01, 2021 and November 30, 2022 across all categories. Only all-new vehicles or ones with significant mechanical changes qualify for the awards.
Automobile manufacturers are on their toes all year round to offer the best in terms of engineering, technology and value for money, while also setting benchmarks for the world and we are honoured to be able to recognise their efforts through our annual awards!
Abhay Verma
TURBOCHARGED’s Editor and Publisher has ridden and driven all kinds of automobiles, including a 2012 Renault F1 car as well. His skills behind the wheel or in the saddle need no introduction thus, more so since he has been evaluating automobiles for a decade and half now. He is also known for pushing cars and motorcycles to their limits, often, also trying to defy the laws of physics, and thus be able to offer opinions that are accurate and definitive.
Benjamin Gracias
Our Assistant Editor has been testing cars for over a decade and half too, having cut his teeth at Tata Motors at an early age. And with a decade of experience of evaluating cars and motorcycles at some of the country’s leading publications under his belt, Ben, as he is affectionately called, is always up for hitting the road. He’s also considered one of the safest hands with tests cars and motorcycles in the office!
Amol Sethi
A hardcore off-road junkie, Amol loves his mud-plugging sessions. His collection of cars includes some interesting sets of wheels like a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, a 200 Series Land Cruiser and also project cars like an E46 BMW 325i, a rare, small wheelbase Mitsubishi Pajero convertible and more! He is known for his precision driving, especially off tarmac, which also helps offer his expert opinions on cars.
Amol Talpade
Amol was a national level rallyist and has also represented TVS Racing in the Indian National Rally Championship (for 2 wheelers). He was bitten by the dirt biking bug early and Amol’s control on a motorcycle, irrespective of the terrain, and his ability to set up a motorcycle, especially when it comes to getting the suspension set up right is what helps him offer decisive verdicts about two-wheelers.
Vivek Jaisingh
Vicky, as everyone calls him, is a dyed-in-the-wool biker and has owned and ridden an array of superbikes to their absolute limits around every racetrack in the country. More importantly, Vicky has also been a riding coach at the California Superbike School in India! He also runs Performance Racing Store, one of India’s oldest and biggest motorcycle gear stores besides a shipping business. He loves driving his cars as well and in on our car and bike jury both.
Green car of the year: Tata Tiago EV
The Tiago EV has democratised electric cars, being the most affordable EV one can buy in the country today. It blends the Tiago’s affable design, excellent road manners, features and comfort as a city car to an impressive electric powertrain, thus making for an excellent city slicker with zero tailpipe emissions, helping it win the ‘Green Car’ award.
Green two-wheeler of the year: Hero Vida V1
The world’s largest two-wheeler maker Hero MotoCorp finally entered the electric scooter space with the Vida V1 and the electric scooter impresses with its styling, build quality and engaging ride, all packaged together as a premium offering, not to forget, two removable battery packs. That’s why it is our ‘Green Two-wheeler of the Year’.
Design of the year (four-wheelers): Kia EV6
A truly modern-age EV, the Kia EV6 looks smashing with its long and low slung stance. Adding more flair are the sharp-looking 19-inch wheels and connected tail-lamps that extend beyond the bodywork. Inside too the EV6 is a design study in creating a soothing ambience and making it the obvious choice for our Design of the Year award.
Design of the year (two-wheelers): Ducati Streetfighter V2
The Ducati Streetfighter V2 redefines sexy and how. The edgy, sharp lines are accentuated by sensuous curves making it a stunning looking motorcycle. We are also impressed with the way it packages the 955cc V-twin engine and liquid-cooling plumbing into a compact package and these have helped it win our Design of the Year award.
Icon of the year: Skoda Slavia
Skoda’s sedans are always stunning looking and the Slavia is no different. It looks gorgeous, packs in a punch, especially in the more powerful, 1.5 TSI engine equipped version and boasts a feature-rich cabin while handling as sportily as you would expect a Skoda to. No surprises, it won our first ever Icon of the Year award.
Powertrain of the year: Mahindra XUV300 Turbosport
Adding fire to the sub-four metre compact SUV segment, the 1.2-litre mStallion 130 turbo-petrol engine powering the XUV300 TurboSport offers the highest in class outputs of 130PS and 230Nm (250Nm with overboost), making the engine our pick for the ‘Powertrain of the year’ award for 2023.
Engine of the year (two-wheeler): TVS Ronin
The Ronin’s 225cc air and oil cooled single-cylinder engine impresses with its refinement, crisp fueling and smooth power delivery and makes the Ronin very engaging to ride. The engine builds on TVS Motor’s legacy of making excellent engines and won our Engine of the Year award.
Adventure tourer of the year: Suzuki V-Strom SX
An adventure tourer feels at home on our broken roads and the Suzuki V-Strom SX makes a good case for itself with its looks, performance, affordability and its ability to handle our roads, not to forget, that brilliant 250cc engine, making it our Adventure Tourer of the Year.
Manufacturer of the year (two-wheelers): Bajaj Auto Ltd
In 2022, Bajaj Auto Ltd continued to reinvent India’s one of most iconic motorcycle brands, the Pulsar, with all-new engines and a modern design language. The Indian bikemaker can also be credited for playing a significant role in making India an export hub and thus won our Two-Wheeler Manufacturer of the year award.
Manufacturer of the year (four-wheelers): Maruti Suzuki
Maruti Suzuki has been on a roll with a slew of launches and in a way has completely revamped its portfolio. The carmaker also brought in its first ever strong hybrid offering in the form of the Grand Vitara, thus winning our Manufacturer of the Year award.
Performance motorcycle of the year: KTM RC 390
The second generation KTM RC 390 has everything that you expect of a sportbike. It is friendlier and more comfortable than its predecessor, besides feeling easier to ride and more agile, changing direction quickly and handling better while also being calmer, making it our pick for the Performance Motorcycle Of The Year award!
Performance car of the year: Lamborghini Urus Performante
A standard Urus is no slouch, but the Urus Performante takes things a notch higher with its elevated performance levels while also being lighter, thanks to the abundant use of carbon fibre. That’s besides the tonnes of technology it packs in, including more driving modes now, while still making hearts skip a beat with its looks. A very deserving winner of our Performance Car of the Year award!
Premium SUV of the year: Hyundai Tucson
The flagship ICE-powered Hyundai in India, the Tucson boasts premium looks, refined petrol and diesel powertrains that are high on performance and high tech features, not to forget an AWD option, making it the best package in the hugely important Premium SUV segment and helping it win our Premium SUV of the Year award.
Luxury car of the year: Mercedes-Maybach S-Class
Both the S-Class and Maybach names are synonymous with luxury unlike few other cars. And like its predecessors, the latest version of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sets new benchmark in its segment with its uber-luxurious feel and endless list of creature comforts, not to forget the V8 and V12 engine options, making it our pick for the Luxury Car of the year.
Luxury SUV of the year: BMW iX
The German carmaker’s first all-electric SUV, the iX impresses with its comfort, refinement and luxurious interiors. Being electric, the performance is eye-wateringly quick while the interiors ooze classiness thanks to the abundance of rich, high quality materials. All these factors come together to make it our pick for the Luxury SUV of the Year award.
MUV of the year: Kia Carens
The Kia Carens is a well-rounded package with its features, space, engine and gearbox options, and it comes at an affordable price tag. It also has one of the best third rows in its segment which is easily accessible and very comfortable. It’s this brilliant packaging that helped it win our MUV of the Year award.
Three-row suv of the year: Jeep Meridian
The Jeep Meridian comes forth as a highly practical premium SUV with three rows of seating while being efficient, thanks to its 2.0-litre diesel engine and being a Jeep, it also boasts some serious off-road credibility, making it an unmatched package when it comes to seven-seat SUVs. Easy to see why it won our Three-Row SUV of the year award!
Hatchback of the year: Maruti Suzuki Baleno
In its all-new avatar, the Maruti Suzuki Baleno gets refreshed looks and is also loaded with segment first features including a head-up display and 360-degree camera. Combine that to the refined petrol engine, excellent gearbox options and brilliant interiors and you know why it won our Hatchback of the Year award.
Sedan of the year: Volkswagen Virtus
Sedans are slowly but surely making a comeback and the Volkswagen Virtus was our pick for the Sedan of the Year for its classy looks, excellent performance and handling. The spacious cabin and large boot coupled with its comfortable ride and feature-rich interiors are what also help in making it a very appealing family sedan as well.
Hall of fame: Mahindra Scorpio
The Scorpio is a brand in itself and has been soldering on for over two decades. The rugged SUV has played a huge role in helping Mahindra reach where it is today and it still commands a loyal fanbase, besides attracting hordes of buyers month after month, year after year. This earns the Mahindra Scorpio a place in the TURBOCHARGED Hall of Fame.
Automotive personality of the Year: Santosh Iyer
Santosh Iyer has played a huge role in making Mercedes-Benz the leader in the luxury car space in the country and is also the first Indian to become MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India. He has also been instrumental in laying down Mercedes-Benz’s India EV roadmap and transforming the way the carmaker sells cars with ‘Retail Of The Future’, making him our Automotive Personality of the Year.
SUV of the year: Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara
Maruti Suzuki entered the highly competitive midsize premium SUV segment with Grand Vitara, a nameplate that makes a comeback in grand fashion. It impresses with its looks, features and most importantly the powertrain options which include mild and strong hybrid engines. The latter also makes it India’s most fuel efficient SUV – 27.97kmpl! It’s also one of the only two SUVs in its segment with an AWD option. Reasons enough for it to be crowned the SUV of the Year.
Motorcycle of the year: Royal Enfield Hunter 350
The Hunter 350 has proved to be a revelation and marks the beginning of a new and very exciting chapter for the bike maker. The Hunter 350 is surprisingly light, nimble and fun to ride, making it a very enticing proposition for younger buyers looking for a fun to ride motorcycle. It also boasts the top notch quality we’ve come to expect from new-age Royal Enfields, while being priced very aggressively. It’s a machine that impresses riders across age groups with its packaging and affable design, making it our Motorcycle of the Year!
Car of the year: Hyundai Tucson
The Hyundai Tucson has always been a strong player in the full-sized premium SUV segment and in its latest avatar the Tucson also sets benchmarks with its engineering, segment-first features including Level 2 ADAS and of course, the stunning design which makes it a brilliant package. It offers the value you can expect in SUVs costing nearly twice as much and the new generation Tucson is thus a quantum leap over the previous generation version, helping it win the highly coveted Car of the Year award.
