28 Nov: Skoda Wins SCoTY 2021

 … SKODA ENYAQ WINS SCOTTISH CAR OF THE YEAR …

Skoda’s Enyaq has got off to an electrifying start by being crowned Scottish Car of the Year.

The all-electric SUV lifted the top title in a fantastic night for Skoda that saw the company win no fewer than four category awards.

The multitalented Octavia was named Best Family Hatchback, Best Plug-in Hybrid and Best Estate in a fantastic hat-trick. Meanwhile, the long range iV80 Skoda Enyaq took the Best £35k+ EV Award before going on to secure the overall Scottish Car of the Year title.

The Scottish Car of the Year Awards are held annually by the Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW). They took place at Edinburgh’s Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club.

Dacia and Mazda were among the evening’s other big winners.

The Dacia Sandero won Best Small Car while its crossover sibling the Sandero Stepway took home the Small SUV/Crossover title.

Mazda’s stunning MX-30 was Best Sub-£35k EV, while the Mazda CX-5 picked up the Best Used Car award.

The Hyundai Tucson was Best Family SUV and the Kia Sorento won Best Large SUV. BMW took home the trophy for Best Executive Car for the handsome new 4 Series.

Suzuki’s Swace was Best Hybrid and the fiery i20 N was a worthy recipient of Hyundai’s second category win, taking the Best Hot Hatch award. 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 4×4 throwback, the Grenadier.

Commenting on winning Scottish Car of the Year, Kirsten Stagg, Head of Marketing for Skoda UK said: “This means a huge amount to us because we believe the Enyaq iV really is a remarkable car.

“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.”

Association of Scottish Motoring Writers President Jack McKeown with Kirsten Stagg, Head of Marketing for Skoda UK, receiving the Scottish Car of the Year trophy.
Picture by Stuart Vance.

ASMW President Jack McKeown said: “It has been an incredible year for the motoring industry with a great crop of amazing new cars for our members to drive.

“Congratulations to Skoda. 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.

“Skoda 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.

“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 winners:

Small Car:  Dacia Sandero (sponsored by Flik magazine)

Family hatchback: Skoda 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: Skoda Octavia iV/vRS (Sponsored by Ally Bally Productions)

Sub-£35k EVs: Mazda MX-30 (sponsored by EVA Scotland)

£35k+ EVs: Skoda Enyaq iV80 (sponsored by Michelin)

Plug-in Hybrid: Skoda Octavia iV (sponsored by EVA Scotland)

Hybrid: Suzuki Swace

Luxury SUV: Genesis GV80

4X4: Ssangyong Rexton (sponsored by STP Fire and Rescue Services)

Hot Hatch:  Hyundai i20 N

Used Car: Mazda CX-5 (sponsored by Arnold Clark)

Design and Innovation: Ineos Grenadier (sponsored by STP Fire and Rescue Services)

The SCoTY Hall of Fame:

1998: Ford Focus
1999: Jaguar S-Type
2000: Audi A2
2001: Jaguar X-Type
2002: Mazda6
2003: Volvo XC90
2004: Peugeot 407
2005: BMW 3 Series
2006: Jaguar XK
2007: Ford Mondeo
2008: Ford Fiesta
2009: Land Rover Discovery 4
2010: Kia Sportage
2011: Range Rover Evoque
2012: Dacia Duster
2013: Volkswagen Golf
2014: Hyundai i10
2015: Vauxhall Astra
2016: Volvo V90
2017: Land Rover Discovery
2018: Jaguar I-Pace
2019: Mazda 3
2020: Ford Puma
2021: Skoda Enyaq