MotorWeek 2019 Driver’s Choice Award winners

The all-electric Jaguar I-Pace voted best overall

At the Chicago Auto Show, the Jaguar I-PACE was named MotorWeek’s 2019 Drivers’ Choice Award in the Best Luxury Utility category, and overall for Best of the Year.

Presented annually since 1983, the MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Awards honor the best models in a variety of lifestyle categories, ranging from family sedan to luxury car, to utilities and pickups. Winners are chosen based on driving performance, technology, practicality, fuel efficiency, and value for the dollar.

“It is a great honor to have the Jaguar I-PACE named 2019 Drivers’ Choice Award for Best Luxury Utility vehicle and Best of the Year by MotorWeek," said Kim McCullough, Vice President, Marketing, Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC. “With the I-PACE, Jaguar’s design and engineering teams created a world-class SUV that that builds upon the brand’s amazing history for innovation, design and performance."

The Jaguar I-PACE midsize performance SUV is the first battery electric vehicle to be offered by the Jaguar brand. The vehicle’s bold proportions are a direct result of the advanced electric drivetrain and architecture that underpin the vehicle. The cab-forward profile of the I-PACE is a natural progression of the well-established design language of the Jaguar brand and retains key characteristics which make it immediately identifiable as the newest member of the Jaguar brand’s expanding ‘PACE’ family.

[adinserter name="GOOGLE AD"]“Jaguar has managed to engineer an electric vehicle (EV) whose creature comfort quotient is high but with all the advantages and technology we’ve come to expect from the new age of electrified models," says MotorWeek creator and host John Davis. “The I-PACE totally delivers as an EV, besting our expectations with outstanding style, range, roominess, as well as performance handling, acceleration, and braking. As a total package, the I-PACE not only is a standout luxury utility, it is a clear winner among all new passenger vehicles."

The I-PACE underlines the Jaguar brand’s dedication to technological advancement and is the first Jaguar to incorporate the intuitive Jaguar InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system. It uses an innovative combination of touchscreens, capacitive sensors and tactile physical controls to operate key functions while reducing visual clutter within the cabin. This new human-machine interface (HMI) design features two touchscreens on the center console, designed to reduce driver distraction; separating information and interactive controls logically, while rotary controllers provide an essential physical connection between car and driver.

Featuring a 90kWh battery powering Jaguar-designed electric motors placed on the front and rear axles, the I-PACE delivers an EPA estimated range of up to 234 miles and 0-60mph acceleration in as little as 4.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 124mph.

The 2019 Jaguar I-PACE is currently on sale in the US priced from $69,500 with the first customer deliveries taking place this month.

Mazda MX-5 names Best Convertible

Mazda MX-5 Miata – best convertible for the money

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) announces the Mazda MX-5 Miata has won the 2019 MotorWeek Drivers’ Choice Award for Best Convertible for the second consecutive year.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata is a symbol of Mazda’s car-making philosophy and tireless pursuit of driving pleasure. As a result of numerous changes, the 2019 MX-5 is quicker, more responsive and aims to be more engaging to drive, adhering to Mazda’s unique Jinba Ittai —“horse and rider as one"—engineering philosophy.

For 2019, the MX-5 gains a new SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter engine, increasing the horsepower by 26 and further improving its performance, response, feel, and efficiency. Additionally, the MX-5 receives advanced safety features from Mazda’s i-ACTIVESENSE suite of technology including a standard rearview camera and available Smart City Brake Support, Blind Spot Monitoring with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane-Departure Warning System, and Adaptive Front Lighting System.

“Getting behind the wheel of a Mazda Miata MX-5 is an exhilarating experience which provides the freedom of exploration to those who love driving. The Miata has always been focused on providing an elegant and intuitive vehicle to all drivers," said Masahiro Moro, CEO of Mazda North American Operations and senior managing executive officer of Mazda Motor Corporation. “The Miata is a legendary vehicle and we are continuously innovating and improving to provide passengers the joy of driving for years to come."

The Mazda MX-5 Miata debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in 1989. Now, 30 years later, Mazda proudly made another debut at the Chicago Auto Show with the world premiere of the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata 30th Anniversary Edition. The special edition is meant to commemorate all of its milestones and the important people that have been part of its special journey, especially Mazda’s enthusiastic fans. The first noticeable new feature is the exclusive Racing Orange exterior paint color. This strikingly vivid color pays homage to the yellow MX-5 Miata Club Racer that also debuted at the 1989 Chicago Auto Show. Racing Orange is meant to represent sunrise and anticipation, while staying true to the characteristics of a pure sports car. More detail and preorder information are available at https://www.mazdausa.com/30th-anniversary.

MotorWeekis television’s longest running and well-respected automotive series. Debuting in 1981, MotorWeekbecame the first series to offer consumer-oriented car and truck reviews and the latest automotive industry news. For the past 38 years, MotorWeekhas looked at the automotive landscape and awarded Driver’s Choice Awards based on buyer’s point-of-view.

Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and Ram 1500 win awards

2019 Dodge Challenger SRTs

MotorWeek, television's original automotive magazine series, today announced the 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye and all-new 2019 Ram 1500 are winners of the Drivers’ Choice awards for “Best Performance Car" and “Best Pickup Truck."

Dodge//SRT launched its most powerful Challenger SRT Hellcat lineup ever in 2019, led by the new 797-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. Dubbed the “Hellcat possessed by the Demon," and powered by the Demon’s supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI high-output V-8, the new performance halo for the brand is also the most powerful, quickest and fastest muscle car.

"It’s awesome to know the muscle car spirit of the Demon lives on in the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye," said John Davis, creator and host of MotorWeek, television's longest running automotive magazine show. “Sure, it cranks a little less HEMI power, but it’s still enough to get to 60 miles per hour in less time than it takes to say this sentence. Plus, it can handle a road course as well as it takes the quarter mile."

Ram 1500 is one hellava pickup

The all-new Ram 1500 – the most awarded truck in America – continues its streak of impressive award wins, taking the Best Pickup Truck honors.

"The Ram 1500 continues to lead the way in making a big truck double as a big family pleaser with as much attention paid to interior conveniences and ride comfort as to cargo hauling and towing," said Davis.

About MotorWeek’s Annual Drivers’ Choice Awards
Every year for the last 38 years, MotorWeek has paused half way through its television season to take stock of the state of the automotive business, and to judge the best new cars and trucks of the year. MotorWeek’s annual Drivers’ Choice Awards look at vehicles from a buyer’s point of view, with attention to automotive trends and innovations, as well as value and reliability – all to produce a list of winners that can be used as a practical guide for car shopping.

MotorWeek announced all of its Drivers’ Choice Awards winners today at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show. All Drivers’ Choice Award winners are featured on Motorweek.org, and will appear on a special episode (#3823) of MotorWeek airing on public television stations beginning February 9, and on cable’s MotorTrend Network beginning February 19.

2019 Dodge Challenger
Dodge launches the most powerful SRT Hellcat lineup ever in 2019, by leveraging the power of the record-setting Dodge Challenger SRT Demon to introduce the new performance halo for the brand and the most powerful, quickest and fastest muscle car – the 797-horsepower Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye.

The Challenger SRT Hellcat returns with output now starting at 717 horsepower and both Hellcat models feature a new dual-snorkel hood that pays homage to the distinctive Dodge design themes from some of its most famous muscle cars, including the 1970 Dart Swinger and 1971 Demon. The new R/T Scat Pack Widebody includes fender flares, adding 3.5 inches of body width, 20 x 11-inch forged wheels, 305/35ZR20 Pirelli tires and larger six-piston Brembo brakes in the front for improved on-road and on-track performance. The new Challenger GT rear-wheel-drive model extends its performance capabilities with standard Super Track Pak features, performance hood, splitter and seats, for the first time ever with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine.

Eight distinct models make up the reconfigured vehicle lineup for 2019: SXT, SXT AWD, GT, GT AWD, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Redeye. Numerous option packages offer all the upgrades, unique heritage cues and additional performance that Dodge//SRT customers demand. Challenger offers a full range of engine options, including the award-winning 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 on SXT, SXT AWD, GT and GT AWD models, the legendary 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 in the R/T models, the naturally aspirated 392 HEMI V-8 on R/T Scat Pack models, the supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V-8 on the SRT Hellcat and a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI high-output V-8 on the SRT Hellcat Redeye.

2019 Ram 1500
The all-new 2019 Ram 1500 is a no-compromise truck, leading in luxury, efficiency, capability and innovation. Ram leads the full-size truck segment with significant gains in fuel efficiency through an all-new eTorque mild hybrid system in both V-6 and V-8 configurations. Overall weight for the Ram 1500 has been reduced by 225 pounds. The frame uses advanced materials and engineering to eliminate 100 pounds while increasing stiffness and durability for 12,750 pounds of towing capability and 2,300 pounds of payload. The new Uconnect 4C with a massive 12-inch touchscreen leads the pickup world with technology, featuring split-screen capability, 360-degree camera views and exclusive content from SiriusXM with 360L. Active safety and security systems join the technology onslaught with adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and Blind-spot Monitoring.