2011 Middle East Motor Awards winners at Sharjah Expo

The most prestigious auto award in the Middle East, with the coveted ‘Car of the Year’ honour as well as individual category winners, the results for the Middle East Motor Awards (MEMA) were announced at a ceremony held at Expo Centre Sharjah on November 3, 2011.

The 2011 “Car Of The Year” award went to the deserving Volvo S60, beating out the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Kia Optima, the latter two incidentally winning the “Best Midsize SUV” and the “Best Midsize Sedan” awards respectively. Other notable category winners include the Volkswagen Golf R as the “Best Premium Sub-Compact”, the Nissan 370Z Roadster as the “Best Sports Convertible”, the Ford Mustang as the “Best Sports Car”, the Hyundai Accent as the “Best Small Car”, the Kia Sportage as the “Best Small SUV”, the Dodge Charger as the “Best Large Sedan”, and the Porsche 911 GTS as the “Best Premium Sports Car”, among others.

Mohammad Ben Sulayem, Vice-President of FIA Middle East and President of the Automobile and Touring Club UAE, in the presence of Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah, handed over the awards to the winning car manufacturers. Mohammed Ben Sulayem is also the Official Patron of MEMA.

The awards involved a panel of distinguished automotive journalists, professional race drivers and off road experts (and me). The nomination and judging process for the second edition of the Awards lasted well over eight months with each jury member required to fill in individual scorecards for all the nominated vehicles. The judging criteria was based on various technical and consumer aspects such as vehicle design, handling, safety features, emotional appeal, value for money and more. All the scores were tallied and the vehicles with the maximum points were awarded the prestigious titles.

“MEMA is the most coveted and prestigious award in the Middle East. It is also the most credible award of its kind, judged by 19 highly sought-after automotive experts from 10 countries, including Lebanon, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Syria, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It is also the ultimate recognition for vehicles in various categories,” said Mr. Al Midfa.

The Middle East Motor Awards, possibly the only independent award of the regional automotive industry, is organized by Expo Centre Sharjah with the support of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The first edition of the Middle East Motor Awards was held along with the Sharjah Auto Show in 2010 and the next edition of the Awards will be held during the 11th edition of the show on November 28, 2012.

Winners at the 2011 Middle East Motor Awards

Best Sub Compact: Hyundai Accent

Best Small Sedan: Hyundai Elantra

Best Mid Size Sedan: Kia Optima

Best Large Sedan: Dodge Charger

Best Executive Sedan: Audi A6

Best Performance Sedan: BMW M3

Best Compact SUV: Kia Sportage

Best Mid Size SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee

Best Luxury SUV: Land Rover Range Rover

Best Performance SUV: Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Best Truck: Ford F-150

Best Sports Car: Ford Mustang

Best Premium Sports Car: Porsche 911 GTS

Best Sports Convertible: Nissan 370Z

Best Premium Sports Convertible: Audi R8 Spyder

Best Premium Sub Compact: VW Golf R

Best Premium Sports Sedan: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Best Luxury Car: Jaguar XJ

Best Premium Luxury Car: Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase

Best Supercar: Lamborghini Aventador

CAR OF THE YEAR: Volvo S60