It is that time of the year, when the efforts of car and bike manufacturers need to be applauded. So without much ado, we present to you the 2011 MotorBeam Car and Bike of the year awards. This award is chosen by the readers, so you decide which car and bike deserves to be crowned the hot pick of the year. The cars have been limited to below Rs. 20 lakhs, while the bikes have to be either locally manufactured or brought via the CKD route (CBU bikes have not been included). Voting runs till midnight of 31st (that is 9 days from now) and winners will be announced in the new year. Below is the poll so go ahead and start voting.
Your MotorBeam Car of the Year 2011
- Mahindra XUV500 (37%, 964 Votes)
- Maruti Suzuki Swift (8%, 223 Votes)
- Ford Fiesta (6%, 152 Votes)
- Skoda Rapid (6%, 147 Votes)
- Honda Brio (6%, 145 Votes)
- Hyundai Eon (5%, 139 Votes)
- Volkswagen Jetta (5%, 130 Votes)
- Nissan Sunny (5%, 130 Votes)
- Renault Fluence (5%, 123 Votes)
- Force One (5%, 121 Votes)
- Maruti Suzuki Kizashi (5%, 120 Votes)
- Hyundai Verna (4%, 118 Votes)
- Toyota Etios Liva (3%, 112 Votes)
Total Voters: 2,624
Loading ...Your MotorBeam Bike of the Year 2011
- Honda CBR250R (40%, 826 Votes)
- Hero Impulse (18%, 379 Votes)
- Kawasaki Ninja 650R (12%, 251 Votes)
- Hyosung GT650N (8%, 170 Votes)
- Hyosung GT650R (8%, 168 Votes)
- Hyosung ST7 (7%, 140 Votes)
- Bajaj Boxer (7%, 121 Votes)
Total Voters: 2,055
Loading ...Contest - We are running a contest wherein, you have to leave a comment below, telling us why you chose to give this particular car and bike the award. The best ten comments will receive a Star of India t-shirt (courtesy of Nissan). So go ahead and leave a comment and tell us why a particular vehicle deserves to be the winner.
{ 39 comments… read them below or add one }
car of the year according to me is the mahindra xuv500 as it surprised a lot of people with its styling,interior and most importantly the price…the no of bookings done for the suv were quite evident of its sucess and still its going great ..this car is surely going to take mahindra on the global market
bike of the year according to me is honda cbr250r…reason for selecting is its good styling..although there has not been any major launches from bikes manufacturers this year so i go with cbr250
XUV500 simply eye catcher,value for money.
CBR 250R value for money,superb engineering
for me the car is XUV 5oo with some top class features and tech. and the best value for money car at present….ahh or think so the best value for money car of all time in india. thums up to M&M again.
hero impulse – “the youthful days are here again” looks like one of the most affordable fun to drive bikes now present in India, and the quality can be trusted as it has originated frm the tried and tested honda NXR150.
i choose it over cbr 250 bcoz of the affordability factor that it has
csr of the year according to me is vw jetta..because its german engg at its best, and its looks r drastically improved and its engine is a total gem…thumbs up to vw for creating such a masterpiece….:)
bike of the year according to me is Hyosung ST7, although its coslty, but it has got fantastic looks, and ride n handling is perfect for bike lovers…:)
its a no brainer , car of the year xuv 500 and bike of the year cbr 250. both of these vehicle have one thing in common they are priced aggressively and changed the dynamics of the game
For me the car of the year has to be the Mahindra XUV500. It has created an all new segment. It has shown that with efforts and market understand, an Indian company can create a global product. The car was very cleverly disguised and test thoroughly. It was hidden from the public till the very last day. Most importantly it deserves to be the car of the year because it is an Indian effort which can give many a foreign companies a run for their money.
As far as the bike of the year goes, there is very little competition here. Not many new bikes were launched and the Honda CBR250R easily takes victory here. Even though quality is lot less than what is desired from a Honda, the performance to price ratio is difficult to match (the KTM Duke 200 is the one to watch though).
I am with you Faisal. Being an Indian I respect Mahindra (Read an India Automobile Company) manufactured a world class product with aggressive pricing and features.
Hats of to Mahindra and Mahindra XUV500.
I think bike of the year should be Hero Impulse.
For me or For India,The Car of the year is definitely Mahindra Xuv 500.”The Value For Money” art is purely defined in this car.Its not just for Indian product,but a Global Product which is very well disguised making it a Stylish yet Sexy looking car!Moreover,Its an Ultimate Indian effort and their hard work that made this product worth for many foreign companies.In growing demand for Stylish VFM cars and for highly technological features,Clearly Mahindra Xuv 500 is a Winner.Its not only a winner,Its a Stunner and yet an achiever.It achieves what International market has not yet been achieved!i.e A Great Looking Car loaded with high functional features at a Stunning Price!
Cheers Mahindra!Cheers the Indian brains behind this great product.
Xuv500
1. has shaken all players and proven a point of what real segment marketing is all about.
2. Vfm offer
3. Well pakaged style, performace & utility
sorry boys! I am a bit ignorant of the bike market
Xuv 500— great looks , handling at that price , its amazing true vfm
cbr 250r– great design and 250 cc at 1.7 lakhs plus its honda..
I voted for XUV and CBR 250R.
XUV because : The XUV has the potential to be a game changer, never before seen features (for a Mahindra as well as in the price range). A VFM price-tag that makes everything from the Aria, Yeti, Fortuner and even BMW X1 seem over-priced.
CBR 250R because : It introduced the first affordable 250cc sports bike (to an extend) with a great engine & service network.
Hi Frns ,
I am moving with two killer launches of this year
1 )First one in CAR is HYNDAI VERNA AWESOME DESIGN and word fluidic flows in the design.Excellent engine and overall perfomance is an killer while comparing with all others sedan in this class.Pure value for money for the extreme feauters inside the car.
2 ) First one in BIKE is the “MOST ANTICIPATED HONDA CBR250R” its an absolute killer .Design is awesome and single cylinder engine for its performance and an gr8 mileage of 30 -35 for an 250cc bike on indian roads.
“VALUE FOR MONEY” is one where HONDA got there BIKING ON
Honda CBR 250 R is “ABSOLUTE VALUR FOR MONEY” While comparing with other competitors all around the WORLD
I voted for Nissan Sunny and Honda CBR 250R.
Nissan Sunny: I selected this as the best because for the following reasons,
1.) Its a Japanese company. So maintenance costs will be very Low when compared to Indian and German rivals. Also durability, because its a Japanese make.
2.) The on road cost of the top on model is 10.3 Lacs only.
3.) Interior Quality and fit & Finish is better when compared to other cars in the segment.
4.) The Indian highways average speed for sedan type cars is 120-130 Kmph. This car will definitely do the thing. (Even if you travel above 150Kmph, you have to reduce speed while overtaking Heavy motor vehicles. So i consider average speed will be 120-130 Kmph only)
5.) Very easy to drive inside city, because of very minimal turbo lag and good low end punch.
6.) Micra is well known for very good mileage. One of my relative gets 28Kmpl when driven at 70-80 Kmph. So we can expect this car to return very good FE.
7.) My final words are Initial investment is also reasonable, running & maintenance costs are low, no creeps & rattles even after 7-8 years of age. So i prefer this car is the best. Though XUV5OO is very good in terms of VFM, we cannot assure its durability and low cost maintenance for several years.
Honda CBR250R: When considering bike segment, engine is the one and only important thing. If engine is not nice i.e not smooth and vibration is there means it will irritating to drive.
Consider TVS Apache & Honda unicorn, once if it comes for driving comfort HONDA wins. But feature wise TVS wins as the top on model gets ABS brakes also (TVS Apache 180 ABS). Why i am saying this means i bought unicorn 5 years back. One of my Friend bought Apache 160 at the same time. When compared to Looks and performance Apache wins. And of course all my friends told why you didn’t go for Apache. After 2 years i was very much comfortable with my bike. But my friend started to search for new bike. When i asked he told, after 6000-8000 Kms everything in the bike stars to vibrate and its very irritating for him. Also diving position was not proper so he suffered from back pain.
So i conclude engine is the only point to be considered in bike. Others are secondary. Honda is well known for Smooth, Durable and FE Engines. So in 250cc segment there are less competitors only, and once again HONDA wins easily because of Smooth engine, Better Riding Comfort and Durability.
According to me, car of the year is Hyundai Verna Fluidic because it is fully loaded and has most features in that segment and its design is the best in all segment…
The bike of the year has to be Honda CBR250R. there is no need to explain anything here because unlike the car options, there is no competition here…..
Hyundai Eon & Honda CBR250R, as they created a completely new segment which was not available earlier.
Eon a new segment??
Dude this segment was there since ages. Remember Maruti 800.
Other rivals are Alto, Spark.
I dont consider M800 and Alto as cars in this class (A segment)as they belongs to a class lower(-A) :) .Spark is having 4 cylinder engine and much more space, it belongs to A+ segment, the real A segment car is Eon (looks,performance,value for money). i hope you got my point.
XUV 500 MADE IN INDIA & MADE FOR INDIA
HONDA CBR 250- BEST BIKE AFTER YAMAHA 100CC
Car OF The Year – IMO
Contenders – Mahindra XUV,Hyundai Verna n New Swift
WInner – Hyundai Verna
Reason – Game Changer for hyundai in mid segment sedan,looks stunning n class above en other c segment rivals,loaded with some of the first in class features n gizmos,feels terrific in the city,very comfortable for both front n rear passengers,has an rocket of an engine (n thts a diesel baby :p)…priced sensibly too n is great bang for the buck @ the price
SUVs is never been abt volumes..but XUV came out to change tht…amazing car by mahinra ..tru to global standards…even swift is an great update to best hatch of alltym….but strikes n bumper wait for it creates prob for prospective customers…in short all these 3 cars were amazing n excellent choice in theri respective segment….but since verna is closer to my heart…i d choose it over XUV n Swift..ofcourse verna has its issues like shabby handling n stability at high speeds but as they say nothing is perfect but the goodness of verna overpowers its limitations
BIKE OF THE YEAR
Contenders – Hero Impulse,Honda CBR250R n Ninja 650r
WInner – Impulse
All three of these bikes belong to diff segemnts….ninja is middleweight sport byk while impulse in no nonsense commuter which can also offroad n cbr is entry level sportbyk….cbr fulfiiled dreams of many enthusiast who needed a perfromance byk but stuck btwenn ninja n r15 was instantly awed by it…honda is a great bike n has good engine,feel n comfort but in quality n workmanship it sadly doesnt justify honda tag n the hefty price tag it commands so it loses out in my eyes….ninja is perfect for middle weight sportbyk n priced aggresivly with probiking servic backup but even this targets a niche market…..impulse on other end is first child of hero after split with honda….loads of hopes n questions were raised over hero’s viability after division …..n impulse is smthing bold n diff…..an transroader…. sole representative of never accessed segmnt of offroad bikes ….well indian roads r as good as offroads though ;;) ..n impulse does make sense in our road conditions….it has same engine of hunk n unicorn tuned for more low end performance ….has great offroad ability,superb suspension n above all the typical hero honda (pun intendd) build quality which is great…
impulse is priced competatively n will win hearts of many….aftr sales supprt will b taken care greatly by large force of hero dealers n the trust tht hero name commandds over 25yrs is bound to make it a success..
reviews say it all…………honda brio and honda cbr250 winners undoubtedly. honda delights this year !!!
I have Chosen XUV500 because of its astonishing piece of Engineering, Value for money , and its bringing India to global market and making Us proud.
and I have chosen Impulse because its completely different..this bike created a whole new segment …. this bike will take biking to different level ….
Car Of The Year: Mahindra XUV500 is great car with the value for money tag along with global technologies.. This suv is definitely global SUV in all aspects..
Bike of the Year: Definitely Hero Impulse for 1st new segment they opened in the Indian market and favorable off-roader…
Eon is one of the best car bcz wrt economical in price,good millage, having average power wrt price. ln case of bike honda is world no.
one company that why people should go through honda. According to power ie 250cc range having good in power (250cc,25.5bhp),price185 thousands on road ABS(anti lock break system), millage (25kmpl in city & 30kmpl on highway)& performance(Top speed approx 155kmph, 0-100kmpl less than 10 second). That why this is good bike.
XUV 500 COTY. CBR Bike of the year.
XUV 500 because It’s very smart looking vehicle. Beats many international brands hollow in terms of external and internal features. A price point of 11.5 lacs upwards is very attractive
Kawasaki Ninja 650r because This is Finally a bike which is almost in the reach of working class due to its mouth watering price. The bike looks fantastic and I am sure it will sell in big numbers specially with that mouth watering price
My Views:
Bike of the year:
Hero Impulse
I see that most of here are voting for the CBR. Yes definately there is tough competion between CBR & Impulse.
I choose Impulse for very specific reasons. few are
1)
India is due for on & off road bikes for long time & Impulse is the answer here. I pretty much feel the country side roads india are more like off road bikes & even few city roads :P
2. Very different looks among the available bikes in indian market right now.
3. It has comfirt driving. just the right prosition for rider with spine chord of rider is kept straight.
4. very nice shock absorbers. just right for indian roads filled with potholes.
5. low pricing.
Car of the year:
Mahindra XUV 500
XUV is what we can say india can produce good cars. Yes. As far as the looks is conserned there is no doubt that is the clear winner.
The front part looks the just the way bigger & gives that awesome feeling. But rear side is what i felt that it is little alike nissan x-trail.
Inside more confirt & more room. It’s great value for money
XUV5OO is –
Eye Catcher (looks very premium)
Great Features
Good Handlying
VFM for the Styling and Features
Regards
Srini
XuV500 – Mahindra had really worked hard for years to ensure that they bring in the best to the Indian masses. That clearly shows their commitment and their social responsibility to give the safest & the best XUV. XUV 500 overall strength are its looks & pricing package. Its like 7* holiday package with 2* rate. What a package, Mahindra i adore you.
CBR250 – Brings with it affordability of sport biking to younger generation. Style, performance bundled with Honda’s reliability is wht makes CBR250 a winner from my perspective.
Nissan Sunny:
About nissan sunny, there are many cars in that segment but sunny has largest boot space & the petrol engine is smooth.
Honda CBR250:
About CBR250 nothing to speak about the bike really aaaaaaaaaaaasome package by honda!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
xuv 500 and impulse- as Indian as it gets!
Mahindra XUV500, its an fully an Indian Technology for the great power, design and power which exhibits and the styling is awesome from the Indian Platform.
CBT250R : though its an japanese technology when compared to other foreign technologies all these are manufactured in the Indian Soil and the Indians have manufactured it
It is not that difficult to judge which car and bike should take top honors. The year 2011 has not seen many launches and the ones we saw were exceptional. I feel that the best car should go to the XUV500. Yes, the XUV has it’s own set of issues which have been thoroughly ignored till date but one should not forget that Mahindra has raised the bar in the segment. Tata Motors could not sell the Aria even after feature loading it but Mahindra could and that shows how well they have marketed the vehicle. Right from the Cheetah to the camouflage, the W201 as it was known has been one of the most interesting projects in the automobile world in 2011. This alone merits a victory for the XUV. On the other hand, there have been no game changers in the Industry. It is just the XUV, which redefines the way we look at compact SUVs. Not playing the marketing game too far, Mahindra was smart enough to give us both 2 and 4 wheel drive.
When it comes to bikes, I am a little confused. I feel it should go to the Impulse (patriotism) but we all know whom we are lying to. The Impulse is as Indian as Sonia Gandhi. It is nothing but a Honda NXR Bros and that alone proves that Hero is good for just badge engineering. I would not like to give the award to the CBR250R but I have no option but to give it away to the baby CBR. The CBR250R suffers from quality issues but when you see how it has changed the quarter liter segment, we all realize that the CBR250R deserves the merit of the Motorbeam bike of the year…
From your list , Car of the year has to be XUV5OO . It show how an Indian manufacturer like M&M can make world class products, at an affordable price tag. Its not like the etios, which has severe cost-cutting and looks and feels like ‘made to a price’. XUV5OO ticks almost everything . Its totally VFM for that kind of a price. Cheetah inspired styling , interiors and all look a class ahead than it is. If we look and sit and drive the car, we may find it difficult to believe that its from M&M . I have to tell you, M&M should be given the manufacturer of the year award too , for making such a global product. Hats Off to M&M .
For bike of the year, Ninja650R ,CBR250R and impulse are the stong contenders. Ninja 650 is VFM for 4.5L, compared to Ninja250R which costs 3L. But, then again, in the indian scenario, its almost impossible to ride these superbikes. We just dont have enough roads to unleash them. So, these are meant for hardcore bikers, not common man. I have to say Hero has done a great job with Impulse, creating an all new segment of its own. I find it sad to see that its not selling good numbers. it has reliability, handling and a very good suspension to take on our roads. But, the problem is, Elder people wont find it suitable for them, the ride height and the dirt-bike like looks make it strange to many, even to some youngster..Now, CBR250R … Well, its hard to point out anything that we can say against it.I do accept it doesn’t have the power of Ninja250R, but then it costs only half of the Ninja. So, that makes sense.In a country like ours,25bhp for a bike is more than enough for youngsters to zoom ahead of girls and others. No wonder it fetched already quite a few BOTY awards already.
Car of the Year would be the Eye candy for most of them on here M&M’s XUV500.
Mahindra is been doing great MUVs from a long time but was for people with stone like heart and not for faint hearted people, this time XUV500 got away with this making the car to be liked and loved everyone around, and just not be looks, XUV500 is by heart a mixture of both. M&M has done a great job in every aspect to make this car such a darling of millions.
and For Bike of the year its going to be Honda CBR250(though i am not a vivid bike fan but i do make sure that what is happening around) as its been most awaited bike from honda’s stable and where styling meets performance. Though this bike is trimmed down from original CBR, its looks great.
My vote goes to XUV5OO, not because i love XUV5OO but also is proven that a Indian company can beat any other company!!
if you want good features, you dont need to go for Foreign vehicle coz ou r homegrown company is here to fulfill you all wishes at low price
NM
well according to all my genius guys said that car of the year should be xuv 5oo and bike cbr 250r.these both is my chioce as i voted also before seeeing there comments.and i love these both car and bike in my life also.and xuv will be like bajaj pulsar.how pulsar change reputation and days of bajaj like same only xuv will change mahindra reputation and days.i bet that and big thing.if you asked any girls or boy who don’t know about cars.and put 2 cars beside her/him and cars will be 1 xuv 5oo and audi or bmw cars.and tell them choice one car then they will choose xuv 5oo its guarranty.
and now talking about cbr 250r the best bike i also dream to buy but my condition is not so goood to buy.ok leave this topic aside and talk about cbr these bike change the company name for bringing fastest bike in india.before bajaj and hero was known to bring fastest bike in india.but honda change these.cbr is one of the best gift from honda to india.and spare parts quality is also good and as i’ve heard before launching that cbr will be made 40% or 30% in japan i’m not sure about these thing.but i’ve heard these and biggest thing honda was the first company to annouces bike with abs technology for india.it means that they want to stay in indian market with latest technology.and not like yamaha.yamaha is cheating indian customers as i’ve said in early comments to motorbeam.and how they cheating indian customers they are giving one side yamaha r15 and just 150cc and taking amount of 1 lakh.what’s these gladiator or s-z is also 150cc segment bike and they carry price with 55-62 thousand.ok but r 15 should nearly around 65 thousand not more then these.bajaj also giving pulsar 220 with price 79 thousand and hero is also giving karizma zmr with 223 cc and they price 1 lakh nearly.so why should go with yamaha go with bajaj or hero and someone say we go with yamaha coz,of engines then i’ve to say that bajaj is also designing 1 of the best engines in india and they designs onn indians roads and condition.i love apna bajaj.and give profit to indian automobiles.
Mahindra XUV 500is the vehicle which has the looks,the promise of a performer,economic to maintain and appears under priced for a vehicle so well loaded.It is going to be my next purchase.
Kawasaki 650 is the new trend,all power still good looking bike which has what an enthusiast desires at a reasonable price,considering the segment it belongs to.
The “renault fluence“ has a very grand look with low value of prize and i say that it is the best of all cars.
The“bajaj boxer“ it may have low value of look compare to other bike but it is always a best choise of all while driving it any were in india.