ŠKODA’s all-electric Enyaq has been crowned Scottish Car of the Year for 2021. The award, handed out at the annual ceremony by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW), capped the event which also saw ŠKODA collect another three class prizes. Dacia, Hyundai and Mazda each secured two category wins each, with Kia, BMW, Suzuki, Ssangyong, Genesis and Ineos each also receiving awards.
But it was ŠKODA which took the main prize at the event, held at Edinburgh’s Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club. While the multi-talented Octavia was named Best Family Hatchback, Best Plug-in Hybrid and Best Estate in a fantastic hat-trick, the long range iV80 Enyaq took the Best £35k+ EV Award before going on to secure the overall Scottish Car of the Year title.
‘This means a huge amount to us because we believe the Enyaq iV really is a remarkable car,’ Kirsten Stagg, head of marketing for ŠKODA UK said.
‘Electrification presents us with an incredible opportunity. As a brand, we have become known for delivering a high-quality ownership experience without the premium price tag. We want to continue that as we transition into electric cars.’
Commenting on the Enyaq’s win, ASMW President Jack McKeown said: ‘This year saw a slew of new and impressive EVs enter the market. Amongst a very talented field of new cars it was the Enyaq iV that stood out to our members.
‘The Enyaq iV’s bold styling, exceptional practicality, an excellent range, lots of onboard technology and — most importantly — a great driving experience put it ahead of the opposition. It was a very worthy winner for our £35K+ EV category and thoroughly deserves to be our overall Scottish Car of the Year.
'ŠKODA had an amazing run, winning no fewer than three categories with a single car, a first for SCOTY. That it took home three awards shows the depth of the Octavia’s talents.'
Other multiple winners included Dacia, which saw its Sandero win Best Small Car, while its crossover sibling the Sandero Stepway took home the Small SUV/Crossover title.
‘Customers want reliable, good quality cars, all for the best value,' Luke Broad, brand director for Dacia UK and Ireland, said. 'At Dacia, we offer just that. We are proud of both models and the most satisfying thing is that customers love them too.
‘In fact, Sandero is the most popular Dacia model in Scotland accounting for 60% of sales since the brand arrived in the UK. For Sandero and Sandero Stepway to be recognised by expert judges is a testimony to the quality and best value proposition of our cars.'
Mazda too enjoyed a successful year, with the stunning MX-30 being named Best Sub-£35k EV, and the Japanese carmaker’s CX-5 picking up the Best Used Car trophy, an award sponsored by Arnold Clark.
‘Our first all-electric Mazda heralded an exciting start to Mazda’s second century in business,' Jeremy Thomson, managing director of Mazda Motors UK, said. 'Winning an award in Scotland for the MX-30 is fantastic and we’re delighted the ASMW share our passion for the MX-30’s style, design and quality.’
There was double delight too for Hyundai, with the Tucson named Best Family SUV and the i20N hailed Best Hot Hatch.
‘Despite the challenges that the industry has faced over the last couple of years we have continued to invest in our product, and our latest line-up of desirable and capable products is the most compelling in our history,' Ashley Andrew, managing director of Hyundai Motor UK, said. 'We are very grateful the Association has chosen to endorse us with these two awards.’
Other awards included BMW taking home the trophy for Best Executive Car for the handsome new 4 Series. Suzuki’s Swace was Best Hybrid, and newcomer Genesis stole a march on rivals taking home the Best Luxury SUV trophy for the GV80. The Design and Innovation Award was won by Ineos for its exciting 4x4 throwback, the Grenadier.
‘It has been an incredible year for the motoring industry with a great crop of amazing new cars for our members to drive,' ASMW President McKeown stated.
‘Congratulations to ŠKODA. The Enyaq saw off some tough competition to be crowned Scottish Car of the Year. Its styling, practicality and value were all factors in its win, but it was the way it made switching from petrol to electric feel so easy that most impressed us.
'Indeed, every one of our category winners is a superb vehicle in its own right and even being shortlisted for a SCOTY award is an impressive accomplishment for any manufacturer.'
The full list of SCOTY 2021 category winners:
Small Car - Dacia Sandero (sponsored by Flik magazine); Family hatchback - ŠKODA Octavia; Small SUV/Crossover - Dacia Sandero Stepway; Family SUV - Hyundai Tucson (sponsored by Arnold Clark); Large SUV - Kia Sorento (sponsored by Flik magazine); Executive - BMW 4 Series (sponsored by Michelin); Estate ŠKODA - Octavia iV/vRS (Sponsored by Ally Bally Productions); Sub-£35k EVs - Mazda MX-30 (sponsored by EVA Scotland); £35k+ EVs - ŠKODA Enyaq iV80 (sponsored by Michelin); Plug-in Hybrid - ŠKODA Octavia iV; Hybrid - Suzuki Swace; Luxury SUV - Genesis GV80; 4X4 - Ssangyong Rexton (sponsored by STP Fire and Rescue Services); Hot Hatch - Hyundai i20N; Used Car - Mazda CX-5 (sponsored by Arnold Clark); Design and Innovation - Ineos Grenadier (sponsored by STP Fire and Rescue Services)
