REVEALED: Middle East Cars of the Year

The world’s leading car brands took centre stage at the recently concluded pioneering edition of the Middle East Car of the Year (MECOTY) awards, held at the Meydan Beach Club in Dubai.

Top brands including BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Infiniti, Cadillac, Toyota, Jaguar and Rolls Royce were among the winners announced in a gala awards night, which was attended by top officials from all major automotive brands in the region.

Saeed Al Marzouqi, Chairman, MECOTY, said: “We are truly overwhelmed at the successful response that we have received in organizing the first ever edition of MECOTY.

“There was always a need for car manufacturers to be recognized by an award body that will judge independently and be free of any commercial bias, as end users also needed a common platform to read authentic reviews from professionals.

“The positive response and large turnout for the awards and the exhibition shows that we have successfully addressed this need. Rest assured, MECOTY will continue to be a key platform for automotive brands in this region.”

The accompanying car exhibition of the awards, which ran during the weekend, also saw a positive response from the local automotive community with thousands of visitors. Prominent brands placed on display at the exhibition included Audi, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Lexus, Land Rover, KIA, Maserati, McLaren, MINI, Mercedes, Nissan, Opel, Rolls Royce, Toyota & Volkswagen.

MECOTY awards are the only independent recognition and acknowledgement to car manufacturers that the cars they are selling in the region are in line with consumer needs. All nominees underwent a stringent selection process from a select panel of judges, who were handpicked to represent their respective countries.

Commenting on the S-Class winning the 'Car of the Year' and 'Best Luxury Sedan' awards, Mike Belk, CEO of Daimler Middle East and Levant said: "To receive two awards at the Middle East Car of the Year awards is indeed an honour for Mercedes-Benz and recognises our leadership position in the luxury automotive segment.”

Winners named during the event include:  

1. Best Small Sedan - Honda City
2. Best Mid-Size Sedan - Toyota Corolla
3. Best Large Sedan - Ford Fusion
4. Best Executive Sedan - Infiniti Q50
5. Best Luxury Sedan - Mercedes S-Class
6. Best Premium Performance Sedan - Audi RS7
7. Best Compact Utility Vehicle (CUV) - Ford Eco-Sport
8. Best Small SUV - Jeep Cherokee
9. Best Midsize SUV - Hyundai Grand Santa Fe
10. Best Midsize Premium SUV - Porsche Macan
11. Best Large Premium SUV - Cadillac Escalade
12. Best Premium Performance SUV - Range Rover Sport
13. Best Hatchback - Nissan Tiida
14. Best Premium Hatchback - Mini Cooper
15. Best Sports Coupe - Alfa Romeo 4C
16. Best Performance Coupe - Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
17. Best Premium Performance Coupe - Jaguar F-Type Coupe
18. Best Grand Tourer - Rolls Royce Wraith
19. Best SuperCar - Mclaren 650S
20. Special Award: The Future - BMW i8
21. Consumer Car of the Year - Audi RS7
22. Jury Selected Car of the Year - Mercedes S-Class