The Renault Austral has been awarded the Moveo Car of the Year award from The vanguard. The compact SUV from the diamond brand, manufactured at the Palencia plant, has been chosen by readers and the jury of experts from a total of 25 candidate cars.
Carlos Godó, CEO of the Godó group, and Raül Blanco, Secretary General for Industry and Support for SMEs, presented the distinction to the General Director of Renault Spain, Sébastien Guigues, at a gala sponsored by Cepsa and MAPFRE, held in held today at the Torre Cepsa in Madrid and was led by the director of The vanguardJordi Juan.
The Moveo awards ceremony, sponsored by Cepsa and MAPFRE, was held in Madrid
The CEO of the Godó group has recognized the “effort” of car brands to “transform the way cars are produced”, and has compared this transformation with the one being undertaken by the media. Carlos Godó has also emphasized that public-private collaboration is essential to face these challenges. He has mentioned the automotive part and has remarked that there are still many European aids to be awarded. Likewise, he has demanded that the authorities make this distribution in the best possible way to boost the automobile industry.
Sébastien Guigues, general director of Renault Spain, holds the Moveo award and poses between Carlos Godó, CEO of the Godó Group (left), and Raül Blanco, general secretary of Industry
Raül Blanco, for his part, has highlighted the competitiveness of the national motor sector, a pioneer worldwide in projects focused on the transition. He has affirmed that public support for the automotive industry “will be maintained in 2023” and that the entire part of the Perte not awarded will be executed, in addition to “other planned lines”. “Let’s focus on assessing the robustness of this sector, which continues to be our first industrial line,” requested the General Secretary for Industry. “The car and the automotive industry are the solution. And, therefore, we are going to be there, the Government, accompanying the sector in the face of all the challenges of the future ”, he added.
Renault Astral, a model manufactured in Palencia
The Austral, Moveo Car of the Year, is manufactured at the Palencia plant. The five-seater SUV, which replaces the Kadjar model and which has just been launched on the market, is 4.51 meters long and arrives to compete in the most difficult and, at the same time, popular segment of models of this type compact. Mix infotainment and include Google services and apps for immersive and intuitive connectivity.
In the manufacture of the new E-Tech full hybrid engine, at the Valladolid factory, more than 200 patents have been registered, placing Spanish engineering at the forefront. It is the most Spanish Renault model in the history of the diamond brand. Guigues stressed during the gala that this car allows for an “orderly” transition, for someone who can find an intermediate solution before going 100% electric.
The Austral is Renault’s bet in the compact SUV segment
Characters of the Year
The Moveo Awards Character of the Year has been shared this year. Leopoldo Satrústegui, general director of Hyundai Motor Spain, and the driver Toni Bou have been the protagonists of this award that recognizes the trajectory of two motoring professionals. Satrústegui has been leading the brand since 2014, which has celebrated its 30th anniversary in Spain and which has a wide range of sustainable vehicles: light hybrids, conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids and 100% electric. It also has a fuel cell model, powered by hydrogen.
Toni Bou’s career is well known. The Montesa-Honda rider has accumulated 32 world titles in trial. Far from retiring, he has not lost a championship since 2007. He is an example of an athlete due to his perseverance, work, tenacity and desire to continue improving and is on a par with athletes such as Rafa Nadal, Phelps or Ángel Nieto or Agostini.
Sustainability Awards
The Moveo awards have also recognized Stellantis, Volvo Trucks and Kia, which have won the Sustainability award, which was presented by the deputy director of The vanguardEnric Juliana.
The jury has valued the Stellantis group for its commitment to the circular economy. The company’s main objectives are to extend the life cycle of vehicles and parts, guaranteeing that they last as long as possible, and to return the material and vehicles, at the end of their useful life, to the manufacturing circuit for new vehicles and products.
Family photo with all the winners at the Moveo awards gala
Volvo Trucks, for its part, has been awarded for its commitment to environmental protection. Since the 1970s, the firm has reduced the emissions of polluting gases from its new trucks by 90%, as well as fuel consumption and environmental impact by 40%. The commitment for 2040 is to offer a range of vehicles free of fossil fuels. Right now it is the brand with the most electric trucks on the market.
In the case of Kia, the jury has valued the ecological vocation of the Korean brand, which has a complete range of vehicles with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and 100% electric technology.
Innovation Award
The Innovation award went to Volkswagen for its ID.Buzz model, and to Nissan for its recently launched e-Power technology. The German brand has recovered the spirit of the endearing Bulli model of the 60s, but in a key to the future. It is a tribute to a long tradition of vans for travel. It is available as a five-seater passenger minivan and also as a commercial van, both with 100% electric propulsion and a range of 418 km.
Nissan, for its part, has opted for a hybrid propulsion system that actually works like an electric car, since the vehicle moves with the force transmitted by an electric motor. This technology also includes a gasoline engine as an electricity generator, but in this case the heat engine never drives the car. The Japanese brand believes it understands that there is still room, until total and irreversible electrification arrives, for formulas that do not lead the user to exclusive dependence on electricity.
These are the 25 models aspiring to win the Moveo ‘La Vanguardia’ 2022 Car of the Year award
The 25 candidate cars selected by the jury for the Moveo Car of the Year award have been, in alphabetical order: Alfa Romeo Tonale, Audi Q3 Sportback TFSIe, BMW X1, Citroën C4 X, Cupra Formentor VZ5, DS 7, Fiat 500e, Ford Bronco, Honda Civic e:HEV, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, Kia Niro, Mazda CX-60, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Mitsubishi ASX, Nissan Ariya, Opel Astra, Peugeot 408, Polestar 2, Range Rover Sport, Renault Austral, Subaru Solterra, Toyota bZ4X, Volkswagen ID.Buzz and Volvo XC40.
The jury of experts for the Moveo awards was made up of Pere Guardiola (commercial and expansion general manager of the Godó group), Francesc Pla (journalist for The vanguard/Moveo), Cristina Cubero (deputy director of Sports world) and Agustín de Tena (editorial advisor of the magazine Entrepreneurs). Design, technology, innovation and sustainability have been the sections that the jury has taken especially into account when deliberating.
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