The long list of contenders for Irish Car of the Year 2011 have been announced, with Audi, Citroen, Kia and Nissan each getting three cars included.
The cars that qualify for entry for the Continental Irish Car of the Year 2011 competition have been announced by the Irish Motoring Writers Association (IMWA). The winning car will be revealed at a ceremony in the Convention Centre Dublin, Spencer Dock, on Thursday, November 25, 2010.
This year there are 39 vehicles vying for the title:
Alfa Romeo: Giulietta (pictured)
Audi: A1, A5 Sportback, A8
BMW: 5 Series, X1
Citroen: C3, C3 Picasso, DS3
Fiat: Doblo Passenger, Punto Evo
Ford: C-Max
Honda: Insight
Hyundai: ix20, ix35
Jaguar: XJ
Kia: Venga, Sorento, Sportage
Mercedes Benz: SLS
Mini: Countryman
Mitsubishi: ASX, iMIEV
Nissan: Pixo, Juke, 370Z
Opel: Astra, Meriva
Peugeot: RCZ, 5008
Renault: Fluence
Saab: 9-5
Seat: Exeo
Skoda: Yeti
Subaru: Legacy
Suzuki: Swift
Toyota: Prius, Verso
Volvo: S60
At the announcement of the contenders for the 2011 award, Michael Moroney, Chairman of the IMWA, said: “For my colleagues and myself, the easy job is drawing up the full list of cars that are eligible for the award.
“Now on behalf of Irish motorists, we must select a deserving winner from this list of worthy cars. Our final choices are based on a vehicle’s particular suitability to Irish motorists and the conditions of the Irish market.”
“Compared to last year, the motor industry in Ireland has seen something of an upturn this year – thanks in the main to the scrappage schemeâ€, commented Paddy Murphy of Continental Tyres Ireland, Irish Car of the Year sponsor.
“And any Irish motorist looking to buy a new car for 2011 would be well advised to pay attention to the IMWA’s recommendations as they whittle the list of entries down to one winning model.â€
The 10 shortlisted vehicles will be announced in early November.
Last year the Irish Car of the Year title went to the Peugeot 3008.
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