- The automotive market is in a moment of change with electrification in the spotlight;
- Edition with more and better initiatives and renewed jury;
- Premiere Design Award;
- The way is open for choosing the successor of the Renault Austral as Car of the Year in Portugal.
The countdown has begun to discover the successor of the Renault Austral as Car of the Year in Portugal. In recent years, the oldest and most prestigious trophy in the automotive sector in the national territory has seen a growing adherence to brands, with increasingly technological and competitive models.
The automotive market continues to change and is experiencing challenges that include the business model, but also the change in the mobility paradigm. Previous editions were marked by the dominance of electrified versions in most classes of the Crystal Steering Wheel Trophy. Manufacturers are accelerating on the road to electrification and this year promises to be as challenging as it is exciting, with the entry of new players and ever more convincing proposals from established brands.
The IMPRESA group organizes the initiative – Car of the Year/Troféu Volante de Cristal 2024 – through SIC Notícias and Expresso. Registration is open until the end of October when the list of applicants will be announced. Beforehand, the Organizing Committee will make known the moments that mark this new edition and the respective dates.
As in the last edition, there will be a total of eight classes for the Crystal Steering Wheel Trophy: City, Family, Compact SUV (including crossovers), Large SUV, Electric, Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid, and Sports.
In this 2024 edition, for the first time, the Car of the Year jury will award the Design Award to the model that stands out the most in terms of style and image. The details of this award will be detailed in the regulation, and judges and brands may nominate models for the contest.
Also in this edition, the organization will again select a set of innovative and technologically advanced devices that can directly benefit driving and the driver, which will be appreciated and subsequently voted on by the jury to elect the winner of the Technology and Innovation Award.
The Executive Committee will also distinguish the Personality of the Year, someone who, through their professional participation and commitment, unequivocally contributes to the development of the automotive sector in Portugal.
Twenty jurors, representing the main media outlets in the country, are now preparing to carry out dynamic tests with the different models in the competition. Aesthetics, performance, safety, reliability, price, and environmental sustainability will be some of the evaluation areas.
This year, the collective has something new: journalist Luísa Correia is the new judge, representing Volante. Luísa Correia is the presenter of the SIC car show, journalist, and anchor of the station. The Executive Committee welcomes Luísa Correia, certain that the journalist’s contribution will bring a new, current, and assertive vision, in addition to adding plurality to the evaluation process.
The Executive Committee also has a new member in this edition. Pedro Amante, juror of the Car of the Year since 2018, presenter of the Volante program, and executive editor of digital entertainment content at SIC, thus joins the Executive Committee of the Car of the Year/Troféu Volante de Cristal, having as one of his main functions the promotion of this initiative in digital.
Entries for the 2024 Car of the Year/Troféu Volante de Cristal are open as of this moment, as well as the testing period. All official documentation will be sent in due course.
More information about the 2024 Car of the Year/Volante de Cristal Trophy on the official website.
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