The BMW 5 Series has been announced as the What Car? Car of the Year 2017, beating an illustrious shortlist of cars including the Seat Ateca, Porsche 718 Cayman and Skoda Kodiaq.
The 5 Series fended off stiff competition from Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce to win the Luxury Car of the Year award, before beating all the other category winners to be named the best new car of the past 12 months.
A team of judges representing Autocar’s sister brand What Car? commended the 5 Series for its efficiency, handling, refinement, technology and sense of luxury.
BMW Brand senior vice-president Hildegard Wortmann collected the Car of the Year Award at an awards ceremony in London this evening. He said: “For the BMW 5 Series to win the prestigious ‘Car of the Year’ award is an honour and testament to the hard work that goes into producing one of BMW’s core models.
“The BMW 5 Series is a brand-shaping saloon and in times of rapid change within the automotive industry we believe the seventh generation model points the way into the future. It is a truly outstanding car and I am very grateful to What Car? for this great recognition.”
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford added: “The BMW 5 Series is no stranger to success at the What Car? Awards; it’s something of a dynasty that has always stood for excellence, but the latest model moves things on again in all the areas that matter most to buyers.”
Other notable winners during the night included the Peugeot 3008, which won the Nexcel-sponsored Technology prize for its i-Cockpit interior layout, and the Toyota Prius, which was awarded the Safety award presented by What Car? and Thatcham. A full list of winners can be found at the What Car? Awards microsite.
What Car? Car of the Year Awards category winners
City car Hyundai i10 1.2 Premium SE
Small car Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 90 SE
Family car Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSI 150 Sport
Hot hatch Ford Fiesta ST-2 3dr
Small SUV Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI 150 SE
Large SUV Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 SE 7st
Luxury SUV Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 272 quattro SE
MPV Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI 115 SE
Estate car Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology
Electric car Renault Zoe Q90 Z.E. 40 Dynamique Nav
Executive car Audi A4 3.0 TDI 218 Sport
Luxury car BMW 5 Series 520d SE
Convertible Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L Nav
Coupe Audi TT 1.8 TFSI Sport
Sports car Porsche 718 Cayman 2.0
Reader award Honda Civic Type R
Safety award Toyota Prius
Technology award Peugeot 3008 i-Cockpit
