[Shadow_Group] Prius 2 named European car of year 2005

[shadowgroup-l at lists.resist.ca]

After a short list of vehicles remaining in the contest as listed in this Irish article:

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/motoring/2004/1013/4049736840MOT13CAROFYEAR.html

Strong French presence in Car of the Year finals
Andrew Hamilton 
        
  Three French, one German and one Japanese are among the seven 
shortlisted finalists for the European Car of the Year 2005 that 
will be announced on November 15th.

The strong French presence is represented by the Citroën C4, the 
Peugeot 407 and the Renault Modus.

The sole German competitor is the BMW 1-Series, while the Japanese 
challenger is the eco-friendly Toyota Prius hybrid.

All five must compete against two cars with multinational rather 
than national identity, the Ford Focus and Opel Astra.

These seven cars have just emerged from the first round of voting by 
58 leading motoring journalists from 22 countries, including Ireland.

The short list is mostly predictable with an affordable and everyday 
bias about it. Ford's second generation Focus is likely to find 
tougher going this time, given that the new car is evolutionary 
rather than the radical shape that characterised the first model, 
which took the European title in 1999 ahead of the Astra.

Opel, six years on, is saying that the Astra can show the same 
satisfying driving zeal as the original while offering crisper, 
fresher styling that's particularly evident on the sleek three-door 
versions presented at the recent Paris car show.

Can Astra beat Focus and reverse the 1999 result? And what about 
Citroën's much acclaimed C4, taking over from the Xsara, and the 
Peugeot 407 which is one rung up in the family and fleet car sector? 
Both essentially come from the same stable, PSA or Peugeot-Citroën 
being one company with differing badges.

The C4 was viewed by many as more aesthetically pleasing, especially 
measured against the 407's gaping open mouth.

The inclusion of the Renault Modus supermini MPV was a modest 
surprise. In spite of being able to move the furniture around, it 
brings nothing new to the party and the trend has already been 
established earlier with cars like the Opel Meriva.

For sheer driving pleasure, the jury members would certainly be 
strongly influenced by the BMW 1-Series, the Bavarian marque's 
newest entry-level car. Rear-wheel-drive is almost a novelty these 
days in a smallish car, providing excellent 50:50 weight 
distribution. A disadvantage from this layout is the rear interior 
space and it's certainly manifest in the 1-Series.

The eco-friendly Toyota Prius, now in its second generation, has 
already garnered a huge amount of publicity, mainly related to the 
prognosis that the future is hybrid. This new Prius has already won 
the North American Car of the Year award 2004.

It should be a reasonably high scorer, if only because of the times 
in which we live.

Andrew Hamilton represents Ireland on the European Car of the Year 
jury

© The Irish Times  

____________________________________________________________

The following article is stating a clear win for the Prius 2:

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=3&id=318904


Toyota hybrid Prius wins European car of the year award

Monday, November 15, 2004 at 12:47 JST
TOKYO — Toyota Motor Corp said Monday its Prius, the world's first 
mass-produced hybrid vehicle, has been awarded 2005 European Car of 
the Year.

After two rounds of voting by the European Car of the Year Jury, the 
car was chosen from a list of seven finalists and declared a clear 
winner with 406 points, the automaker said. (Kyodo News)

_____________________________________________________________

And also the following statement by Toyota:

15th November 2004
Toyota Prius wins 2005 European Car of the Year
Prius reaches the top position with 406 points
The Toyota Prius has been voted 2005 Car of the Year by the 58 
members of
the European Car of the Year Jury. After 2 rounds of voting, the car 
was
chosen from a list of 7 finalists and declared clear winner after 
gathering
406 points.
Tadashi Arashima, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Marketing Europe 
said:
"We are absolutely delighted to receive the 2005 Car of the Year 
award for
Prius. We believe that hybrid technology, in particular as 
implemented in
the Prius with our revolutionary Hybrid Synergy Drive® system, 
represents a
big step forward in reducing the environmental impact of 
automobiles, while
at the same time enhancing driving performance. We are proud and 
honored
that Prius has been endorsed so strongly by the prestigious group of
journalists who make up the Car of the Year jury. This is a major 
milestone
in the acceptance of the hybrid powertrain and the recognition of its
potential to become a mainstream technology. It is also a great
encouragement to us in our work on developing more environmentally 
friendly
vehicles."
Prius, the world's first mass produced hybrid vehicle, is propelled 
by the
combination of an electric motor and a petrol engine. This unique 
system,
called Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive®, will spearhead the development 
of new
environmentally friendly powertrains and is part of Toyota's effort 
to
create the ultimate eco car.
Since its introduction in early 2004, Prius sales in Europe are 
expected to
reach 8,500 units this year.
Next year, the sales target has been set at 15,000 units for Europe, 
whilst
an increase in production capacity will allow 180,000 cars to be sold
worldwide.



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