The time has come when automotive experts from various publications get together to judge some of the best sets of wheels in the country. The jury’s job becomes a lot harder, especially when having to choose from the list of deserving candidates. However, the best ones eventually do win, and so we have the winners of the ICOTY and IMOTY awards across all categories.
Starting with the Indian Car Of The Year, the Mahindra Thar Roxx, which faced quite the tough battle in its category, facing competition from the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Maruti Suzuki Swift, MG Windsor EV, Citroen Basalt, Tata Curvv and Curvv EV, Tata Punch EV, and BYD eMAX 7. However, the Thar Roxx ended up winning the ICOTY 2025, with the Maruti Suzuki Dzire coming in as the first runner-up, while the second runner-up was the Maruti Suzuki Swift.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class won the Premium Car of the Year 2025, ahead of the BMW 5 Series and Kia Carnival. There were also other interesting candidates as well, such as the BYD Seal, Mini Cooper S, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV & Maybach EQS SUV, BMW i5, and BMW M5.
The Green Car Of The Year 2025 award went to the MG Windsor, with the second runner-up being the BYD Seal and the BMW i5 as the first runner-up. The other candidates in this category include the Tata Punch EV, Tata Curvv EV, MG Windsor, BYD eMAX 7, Mini Countryman EV, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, and Maybach EQS SUV.
Moving on to two wheels now, this was a hotly contested space as well, with a bunch of very interesting candidates, such as the Bajaj Pulsar N125, Bajaj Pulsar NS400Z, BSA Gold Star 650, Hero Mavrick 440, Royal Enfield Bear 650, Royal Enfield Guerilla 450, and Triumph Speed T4. The Aprilia RS 457 ended up winning the IMOTY 2025, while the Bajaj Freedom 125 NG04 and the Hero Xtreme 125R were the runners-up in this category.
‘The ICOTY and IMOTY Awards stand as a testament to the remarkable achievements in India’s dynamic automotive landscape. These esteemed accolades celebrate excellence and innovation, reflecting the industry’s unwavering commitment to progress. Over the years, the Indian automotive sector has demonstrated remarkable strides, solidifying its position as a global leader. At JK Tyre, we are proud to contribute to this legacy and recognise the dedication and ingenuity that drive this industry forward,’ said Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director of JK Tyre and Industries Limited.
The ICOTY and the IMOTY awards are the most prestigious automotive awards in the country, and they have been hosted by JK Tyre ever since the inception of both categories back in 2005 and 2007, respectively. The awards were presented by Dr Raghupati Singhania, together with the esteemed jury members, who included experts from various publications. The jury members for the ICOTY 2025 included Dhruv Behl and Ishan Raghava from AutoX, Aspi Bhathena and Joshua Varghese from Car India magazine, Yogendra Pratap and Dipayan Dutta from Auto Today, Sirish Chandran and Aatish Mishra from Evo India, Kranti Sambhav and Rohit Paradkar from Overdrive, Arpit Mahendra from TOI Auto, Vikrant Singh and Sagar Bhanushali from Carwale, Kushan Mitra from The Print, Ameya Dandekar from Cardekho, Abhay Verma from Turbocharged, Bob Rupani from Exploration Drives with Bob Rupani, Ashish Masih from Times Drive, Cyrus Dhabhar from Powerdrift, and our very own Pablo Chaterji and Kartik Ware.
Meanwhile, the jury members for the IMOTY 2025 included Rahul Ghosh and Abhinav Jakhar from Auto Today, Shivank Bhatt and Manav Sinha from AutoX, Aspi Bhathena and Joshua Varghese from Bike India, Sirish Chandran and Aatish Mishra from Evo India, Kranti Sambhav and Rohit Paradkar from Overdrive, Abhay Verma from Turbocharged, Arpit Mahendra from TOI Auto, Vikrant Singh and Pratheek Kunder from Bikewale, Varun Painter from Powerdrift, and last but not least, Kartik Ware and Manaal Mahatme representing us.
