Middle East Motor Awards 2012 nominations announced

The Middle East Motor Awards (MEMA), the biggest and the most coveted awards of the regional automotive Industry, has finalized the top three contenders for each of the 17 award categories after a seven-month-long voting and assessment process.

The winners of the awards will be announced and presented on November 28, on the opening day of the International Automobile Show at Expo Centre Sharjah.

“MEMA is the most prestigious award of its kind in the region. It is also the most credible award of its kind as it is judged by 17 independent jury members from 10 Middle Eastern countries, including Lebanon, Qatar, Jordon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE,” said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General, Expo Centre Sharjah.

Under the patronage of Dr Mohammad Ben Sulayem, Vice-President of FIA Middle East and President of ATC UAE, the awards are being held for the third consecutive year.

The award nominations were based on various criteria such as performance, design, handling, driver satisfaction and value-for-money, among others, and were assessed by a jury consisting of independent automotive journalists. The jury members spent nearly seven months nominating, short listing and assessing the entries.

Last year, Volvo S60 drove away with the coveted ‘car of the year’ honour, while Lamborghini Aventador was adjudged the ‘best supercar’, Kia Optima the ‘best midsize sedan’, and Jeep Grand Cherokee the ‘best midsize SUV’.

The top three nominations in each category for this year are:

Best Small Sedan:
Kia Rio Sedan
Honda Civic
Chevrolet Sonic
(Nissan Sunny)

Best Midsize Sedan:
Toyota Camry
Volkswagen Passat
Peugeot 508
(Chevrolet Malibu)

Best Executive Sedan:
BMW 3-Series
Lexus GS 350
Jaguar XF
(Chrysler 300C)

Best Performance Sedan:
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
BMW M5
Jaguar XF-R
(Chrysler 300C SRT8)
(Dodge Charger SRT8)

Best Crossover:
Honda CR-V
Nissan Juke
Mini Countryman
(Subaru XV)

Best Midsize SUV:
Ford Explorer
Honda Pilot

Best Premium Midsize SUV:
Mercedes-Benz GLK
Audi Q3
Range Rover Evoque

Best Premium Large SUV:
Lexus LX570
Mercedes-Benz ML-Class

Best Performance SUV:
Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG

Best Sports Coupe:
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Toyota 86

Best Premium Sports Coupe:
Bentley Continental GT V8
Porsche 911 Carrera
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe
(BMW 6-Series Coupe)
(Jaguar XKR-S)
(Nissan GT-R)

Best Sports Convertible:
Porsche Boxster
BMW 6-Series Convertible
Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class
(Jaguar XKR-S Convertible)

Best Premium Sports Convertible:
Porsche 911 Carrera Cabrio
Ferrari 458 Spider
Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster
(Bentley Continental GTC)

Premium Luxury Coupe:
Bentley Continental GT V8
Rolls Royce Phantom Coupe Series II
Ferrari FF

Best Hatchback:
Ford Focus
Hyundai Veloster
Toyota Yaris
(Kia Rio)
(Nissan Micra)
(Chevrolet Sonic)

Best Premium Hatchback:
Volkswagen Scirocco R
Mini Cooper Coupe S

Best Supercar:
McLaren MP4-12C
Ferrari 458 Spider
Ferrari FF
(Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster)

The cars listed in brackets are already out of the running due to lack of votes. The Car Of The Year contenders will be announced at the ceremony itself. We are one of the 17 judges.