Tag: award

Official: 2014 Honda Odyssey first minivan to earn Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video]

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Safety, Videos, Honda

2014 Honda Odyssey IIHS crash test

You know an automaker is confident about the safety of its vehicles when it asks one of the top crash test agencies to destroy one of its newest models. That’s exactly what happened with the 2014 Honda Odyssey. According the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Honda requested that the agency run the updated Odyssey through its full barrage of tests, and for good reason.

Aside from slight styling upgrades and a new optional HondaVac built-in vacuum cleaner, the 2014 Odyssey was also given a more rigid passenger compartment using high-strength steel to help better protect occupants. It obviously worked. Following the crash tests, the 2014 Odyssey became the first minivan to earn a Top Safety Pick+ rating, but, more importantly, it did so with “Good” ratings in all five crash categories (four “Goods” and one “Acceptable” are enough for the TSP+). Impressive.

Scroll down for the crash-test video from the IIHS along with a press release.

Continue reading 2014 Honda Odyssey first minivan to earn Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video]

2014 Honda Odyssey first minivan to earn Top Safety Pick+ award [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Aug 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Folding motorcycle helmet nominated for Dyson Award

Filed under: Etc., Motorcycle, Design/Style

Proteus folding motorcycle helmet

Jessica Dunn’s Proteus folding helmet – Click above for high-res image gallery

Twenty-five-year-old Australian Jessica Dunn spent five months riding a motorcycle in Indonesia as a foreign exchange student, and that meant hauling a helmet around all that time. Weary of that grind after just 150 days, Dunn developed the Proteus folding helmet and it is now shortlisted for the James Dyson Award.

An outer layer of polycarbonate covers polystyrene foam, and the innermost layer is a material that’s pliable during normal use but instantly hardens when it registers an impact. The helmet itself collapses in a manner reminiscent of a hardtop convertibles, the visor slides back on top while the sides and back fold into the helmet’s interior cavity. The Proteus helmet has been engineered to meet Australian safety standards, and when folded fits into a standard backpack. Have a look at the gallery of high-res images for a better view, and if you think that’s funky, you should check out Julien Bergignat’s Tatou helmet.

Folding motorcycle helmet nominated for Dyson Award originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 28 May 2011 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Kia

Kia Soul Hamsters in

Kia Soul Hamsters in “This or That” – Click above to watch video after the jump

Kia has taken home the top honors in the Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year awards for the second year in a row. The company’s troupe of dancing hamsters managed to make the biggest impression on viewers in the “A New Way To Roll” spot in 2009 and the rodents managed to pull off a similar stunt in 2010 with the automaker’s “This or That” ad.

Nielsen hands out the awards based on response information collected from 2.5 million viewers across 24 networks, and according to Kia, the hamster spots have helped increase Soul sales in a big way. The boxy compact saw its sales figures increase by 50.8 percent last month compared to March 2010.

The Soul wasn’t the only winner, though. Ford took home two awards in different categories, with the Fiesta netting honors for the best green ad and the company earning best sales event spot with its “Swap Your Ride” commercials. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz grabbed the best luxury campaign trophy with its “Triumphant” spot for the SLS AMG and Toyota walked away with the Spanish Advertiser of the Year title.

Follow the jump for the press release, as well as a replay of the winning “This or That” ad.

Gallery: Kia Soul This or That music video stills

[Sources: Neilsen, Kia]

Continue reading Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award

Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Volvo, Luxury

2012 Volvo S60 IIHS Crash Tests

2012 Volvo S60 IIHS crash tests – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volvo can stick another feather in its safety cap. The 2012 S60 has officially been awarded an IIHS Top Safety Pick judgement by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That means the sedan managed to net top ratings in all IIHS crash tests, including front, side, rollover and rear evaluations. Vehicles awarded the Top Safety Pick designation must also come standard with electronic stability control.

According to the IIHS, it’s been a while since the S60 has carried the institute’s highest honor. The vehicle’s previous generation had no problem netting good ratings in both front and rear tests, but was only rated as acceptable in side impact evaluations. Additionally, the new roof strength tests weren’t in place for the vehicle’s last iteration. IIHS says that Volvo improved the design of the S60 enough to net higher side impact ratings and pass the new rollover tests with flying colors.

IIHS says that the roof of the S60 stood up to 4.95 times the weight of the vehicle. Currently, the federal standard is only requires a vehicle to withstand a force equivalent to 1.5 times its weight. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: 2012 Volvo S60 IIHS Crash Tests

[Source: IIHS]

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2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Optima wins Cars.com ‘Best of 2011’ award

Filed under: Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima

2011 Kia Optima – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’re big fans of the swoopy new 2011 Kia Optima – in fact, some of us here at Autoblog even prefer the Kia sedan to its Hyundai Sonata cousin. Apparently we aren’t the only ones who think highly of this fiercely competitive mid-sizer, as Cars.com has just honored the Optima with its ‘Best of 2011’ award.

The editors of Cars.com cited the Optima’s outstanding fuel economy and excellent driving experience. Specifically:

“With its value, sharp packaging, outstanding fuel efficiency and lofty features, the Optima gives all family-car shoppers a shot at something far more compelling than the segment represents.”

Runners-up include the BMW 5 Series, Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Volt (which was recently named North American Car of the Year), Honda Odyssey and Nissan Leaf. All good vehicles, yes, but the Optima’s strong presence within the mid-size sedan segment – the most-shopped segment in the auto industry – is a huge achievement for Kia. Head over to Cars.com to read the full story.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T: First Drive

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Photos copyright (C)2011 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Cars.com]

Kia Optima wins Cars.com ‘Best of 2011’ award originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Top Gear Award winners announced

Filed under: Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Porsche, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat, UK, Koenigsegg

Citroen DS3

Citroën DS3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

As we said before, it’s that time when everyone starts rolling out their year-end “Best of” lists and revisits their favorite rides of 2010. Top Gear is in on the action, naming its annual award winners. Its list, as you can see, is diverse and loaded with forbidden fruit (at least for those of us in the U.S.)

  • Hypercar of the Year: Koenigsegg Agera
  • Cabrio of the Year: Maserati GranCabrio
  • Grand Tourer of the Year: Bentley Continental GT
  • Hot Hatch of the Year: Volkswagen Golf R
  • Family Car of the Year: BMW 520d Touring
  • Engine of the Year: Fiat TwinAir
  • Coupe of the Year: Peugot RCZ
  • Luxury Car of the Year: Jaguar XJ
  • Small Car of the Year and Car of the Year: Citroen DS3

Besides the standard categories, the three hosts also picked their favorites of 2010. Jeremy Clarkson is in love with the Pagani Zonda R, James May goes with the Bugatti Veyron Supersport and Richard Hammond is quite fond of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS.

Though we’ve given you the list, it’s still worth a trip over to the Top Gear website to read the reasons behind each choice.

Gallery: Citroen DS3

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[Source: Top Gear]

2010 Top Gear Award winners announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Dec 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Enthusiast blog Saabs United inspires official automaker award

Filed under: Saab

Throughout the turmoil of the on again, off again sale of Saab to Spyker, the site Saabs United did its part to rally supporters of the brand and keep the world up to date on what was happening at any particular moment. At one point during the brand’s dark days, Saabs United founder Steven Wade presented company CEO Jan Åke Jonsson with a boomerang as a symbol of the head honcho’s tenacity when it came to returning to the bargaining table. Now that Saab appears to be headed toward calmer waters, that boomerang has inspired Jonsson to create a Saabs United award.

The award features the very same boomerang along with a model of the Ursaab – the company’s very first model – on a plinth. The strange looking award will be handed out annually, and Jonsson says the honor will be given each year to the individual who made the single greatest contribution to the company’s success. Fittingly enough, this year the award went to Wade himself. Hop the jump for a look at the full press blast.

[Source: Saab]

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Enthusiast blog Saabs United inspires official automaker award originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mitsubishi Lancer earns Top Safety Pick award, first small car Mitsubishi to pass new rollover test [*UPDATE]

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Safety, Mitsubishi

2010 Mitsubishi Lancer ES – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has named the Mitsubishi Lancer one of its top safety picks. The four-door sedan managed to be the first small car Mitsubishi that the Institute has tested to pass the new roll-over test with a “good” rating. As much as we like entertaining ourselves by thinking about the researchers flipping a bevy of cars and SUVs from 9-to-5, that isn’t quite how the institute tests for rollover strength.

Instead, a large metal plate exerts a steady force on the roof of a vehicle until the crash structure deflects by five inches. At that point, the boffins measure the amount of force it took to bend the roof and compare it to the overall weight of the vehicle. From there, a strength-to-weight ratio can be established. Currently, the federal government requires a vehicle’s roof to be able to withstand 1.5 times the weight of the car, and in order for a vehicle to earn a “good” rollover rating from the IIHS, the roof needs to be able to stand up to four times the weight of the vehicle.

Gallery: 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer ES

[Source: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Mitsubishi Lancer earns Top Safety Pick award, first small car Mitsubishi to pass new rollover test [*UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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