Johannesburg – The Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine Inscription has been named Premium SUV of the Year by influential motoring website, Cars.co.za. Awarded at a glittering function on the evening of 19 January, the accolade comes as the XC90’s second in a row after the XC90 D5 Inscription took the same award in 2016.
The Cars.co.za Consumer Awards are judged by an experienced panel of prominent journalists who this year put all finalists through their paces at the famous Gerotek testing grounds near Pretoria – but their votes are not the only deciding factors. Importantly, consumer feedback also plays a large role, making the award for Premium SUV of the Year even more meaningful. The awards are given to those vehicles which represent the best buys in their categories in South Africa, influenced by real, credible consumer input.
Received by Michelle Naudé, Director of Marketing and Communications at Volvo Car South Africa, the latest trophy is being added to a long list of local and global awards for the Volvo XC90. “We are absolutely thrilled that the XC90 has taken this increasingly important accolade for the second year in a row,” comments Naudé.
Cars.co.za says that in order to have been eligible for the Premium SUV category, contenders had to meet the following criteria: a list price of between R750 000 and R1 200 000 at the time of semi-finalist voting (01 September 2016) and they had to be large SUVs with all-wheel drive as a standard feature. The most important judging factors were powertrain technology, luxury features, brand strength, design and quality appeal, driving dynamics, space and practicality.
“To date, the XC90 has received over 120 awards globally, which makes it one of the most awarded cars in history,” elaborates Naudé. “We are exceptionally proud of our flagship SUV, which is still the reigning WesBank/SAGMJ Car of the Year in South Africa. We launched the XC90 locally in 2015 as the first in a wave of brand-new Volvo cars in South Africa and it has continued to garner acclaim and attention from all angles.
“It continues to set the tone for all our future products – the next of which is the new Volvo S90, which launches within a week of this award. We look forward to our new flagship sedan also standing proud amongst its peers as a truly noteworthy vehicle in South Africa.”
