car&bike Awards 2025: Car Categories And Nominees

India’s most credible auto awards – ‘The car&bike Awards’ are back, and the 2025 edition has proven to be more exciting than ever. In 2024, the Indian auto industry witnessed some big launches across different segments, and we witnessed the arrival of some popular names like the Tata Curvv and Mahindra Thar Roxx. Based on the models, body type and segment, we have narrowed down all the new cars into 15 different categories. And here’s everything you need to know about them.

Also Read: car&bike Awards 2025 Campaign Begins

Car Design of the Year

Like every year, for the car&bike Car Desing of the Year category we will consider all the cars nominated across different categories. The special panel of design jury, who themselves are established auto designers, evaluate all the models based on different parameters like – styling, proportions, size and most importantly, emotional appeal. Last year, this award was bagged by the Mercedes-AMG SL 55.

Urban Car of the Year

The Urban Car of the Year Award category has been devised to find and reward the best subcompact hatchback. Cars that can be your daily driver; feature peppy engines and compact proportions making them the perfect companion for the urban jungle. This year, we have two cars in this category – the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor.

Subcompact SUV of the Year

The Subcompact SUV space is possibly one of the most popular segments in the Indian auto industry. These are cars that can be all-rounders and are also sub-4-metre in size. On the one hand, they have an SUV-style design with some muscle to handle long drives, and on the other hand, they are compact enough to handle urban roads and terrains. The cars nominated this year in this category include the all-new Skoda Kylaq and the Mahindra XUV 3XO.

Urban EV of the Year

The Urban EV of the Year category considers electric vehicles designed mainly for intracity commuting, be it for an individual or a family. The idea is to look for the latest tech, comfort and proportions that are not too big and neither too small. More importantly, these are EVs which cost less than Rs. 25 lakh (ex-showroom). This year, the cars nominated in this category include – MG Windsor EV, Tata Curvv EV and Tata Punch EV.

Subcompact Sedan of the Year

As the name suggests, this category of awards is for sub-4-metre sedans, a segment that might have lost its older charm but is nonetheless still going strong. In 2024 we saw two of the most popular subcompact sedans go through a generation upgrade – the Maruti Suzuki Dzire and Honda Amaze.

Compact SUV of the Year

The Compact SUV space is the one that’s getting all the attention now, and this is what most new car buyers are looking for today. This year two all-new models entered the segment – the Tata Curvv and the Citroen Basalt, and interestingly both are coupe SUVs. Both bring a new flavour to the segment, let’s see which one attracts the jury more.

Family Car of the Year

The idea here is simple, for us what constitutes an ideal family car is a vehicle that is - comfortable, offers good drivability, and is practical. The three cars that were nominated for this category were quite a mix bag – the Nissan X-Trail petrol SUV, the Kia Carnival diesel MPV and the BYD eMAX7 electric MPV.

Off-Roader of the Year

The Off-Roader of the Year is for purpose-built SUVs that come with a proper 4x4 system, and you guessed it, can go off-road. This year we have two models that perfectly fit the bill – the all-new Mahindra Thar Roxx and the new Force Gurkha. Which off-road SUV will win the crown this year? It will be an interesting battle.

Exotic of the Year (Imports)

This category is exclusively for sports cars and uber-luxury vehicles that come to India as a full import, earmarked for only a select few. This year, the category saw models like – the Aston Martin Vantage, Maserati GranTurismo, McLaren 750S, Mecedes-AMG S63 E Performance, and the Rolls Royce Spectre.

Luxury Car of the Year

This category is again self-explanatory. Cars that are meant for the executives and bosses out there, which offer some of the best rear seat experiences and exclusivity. Four cars have been nominated this year in this category - Mercedes-Benz E-Class, BMW 5-Series LWB, Porsche Panamera GTS, and Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Cabriolet.

Luxury EV of the Year

The luxury electric vehicle space is getting populated with newer models almost every 6 months. In 2024 alone, we saw 5 new models launch in this segment - the Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 SUV, BMW i5, Porsche Macan EV, Mercedes-Maybach EQS 680 SUV, and the Kia EV9. The segment this year is dominated by German models, however, we also have the Kia EV9 which makes a strong case for itself.

Performance Car of the Year

This year the Performance Car of the Year category possibly has one of the most exciting line-ups. In this category we have sports cars and performance-oriented vehicles, and, as usual, it’s dominated by Germans. The model line-up includes - the BMW M4 CS, Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance, Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid, and Mercedes-AMG GLC43.

Premium Car of the Year

The premium car space has seen a lot of elevation in the last few years, and one can say the lines between premium and luxury cars have started to blur. For this category, we are looking at vehicles that are around Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 75 lakh. The models nominated this year include – the MINI Cooper S, Toyota Camry, and Kia Carnival.

Premium EV of the Year

The premium EV space similarly has grown quite a bit, and we see more and more electric vehicles in the Rs. 50-75 lakh space. Some such EVs that were launched in 2024, and elevated the segment include – the BYD Seal, MINI Countryman E, and the Mercedes-Benz EQA.

Upgrade of the Year

Unlike before car facelifts have become more and more important, and extensive. We see brands offer considerable changes with mid-life car updates and some cars that stood out for us in 2024 include - the Jeep Meridian, Citroen (C3) Aircross, Hyundai Alcazar Facelift, Tata Altroz Racer, Hyundai Creta Facelift, and Kia Sonet.

Engine of the Year

This year, we are also introducing a new Engine of the Year category to distinguish some of the newly introduced powertrains that thought were outstanding. The award aims to recognise the engineering prowess of these carmakers who gave us some exciting engines this year. The contestants who have been nominated this year include – the Nissan X-Trail’s 1.5-litre engine, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 SE Performance’s 2.0-litre turbocharged motor, and the Maruti Suzuki Swift’s 1.2-litre petrol engine.