Updated: Honda, Suzuki, Changan (Mikano) battle for Nigeria’s car of the year

Updated: Honda, Suzuki, Changan (Mikano) battle for Nigeria’s car of the year

• Other categories nominees named

Two Japanese auto brands, Honda and Suzuki are to slug it out with a Chinese brand, Changan of Mikano for this year’s car of the year in Nigeria.

The Awards Committee of the Nigeria Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) released list of nominees for its 2023 Nigeria Auto Awards on Friday morning.
The grand award event is scheduled for December 14 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The list features over 30 models of automobiles which cut across several segments of the auto industry, as well as auto showrooms and vehicle assembly plants in the country.

Suzuki Espresso, Honda HR-V and Changan Eado made it to the top of the list as the cars will battle for the coveted Car-of-the-Year, while Sino Truck Dangote, Shacman and JAC will go head-to-head in the Truck-of-the-Year category.

For the Assembly Plant-of-the-Year, Lanre-Shittu Motors, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing and Mikano Motors are on the card, while Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Range Rover will slug it out in the Luxury-Brand-of-the –Year category.

Stallion (JAC), Mandilas Motors and CFAO have been nominated for the Auto Workshop of the Year.
In the Compact SUV-of-the-Year category, Changan CS35, GAC GS4 and new entrant, Honda HR-V led the category. And in the Large SUV category, Range Rover, Toyota Land Cruiser and Hyundai Palisade are the leading contenders.

Range Rover (Autobiography), BMW X7 and Mercedes G Wagon will battle for the Luxury SUV category. Maxus, Toyota Hilux, Mitsubishi L200 and JAC T6 will compete in the Pickup category, while GAC GS8, Changan Uni-K and JAC JS4 are the leading models in the outstanding auto design category.

In the minibus category, Toyota Hiace, Jet Mover, Foton View C2 and NORD Flit are the nominees, while Stallion Motors, ANAMMCO and Briscoe will vie for the Most Resilient Auto Company award.

Coscharis (Ford), Mikano and GAC are set to battle for the Auto Showroom of the Year award; Libra, Okeyson and GUO will compete in the Transport Company of the Year, while Bajaj and TVS are the two nominees in the Three-Wheeler of the Year category.

Chairman of the Awards committee, Rasheed Bisiriyu also revealed that Chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, Chief Innocent Chukwuma, would be honoured with the Auto Personality of the Year for his immense contributions to the development of Nigeria’s auto industry.

He said nominees in the various categories were decided by an esteemed panel composed of experts in the industry, dealers and motoring editors.

“In producing these results, our panel demonstrated fierce dedication to their craft by selecting nominees worthy of their consideration in 2023,” he stated.

He said the anticipation for the annual auto awards is stronger than ever among consumers and the automotive sector.

He said, “The winners in the various categories will be revealed live at the grand event scheduled for December 15, 2023 at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos in a grand ceremony.”

The Nigerian Auto Journalists Association (NAJA) is an association of professional journalists, writers, and corporate members whose focus is the automobile and the Nigerian automotive industry.

NAJA’s primary objective is to promote, encourage, support, and facilitate professionalism in Nigerian automotive journalism and to ensure factual and ethical reporting about the automobile and automotive issues to Nigerian consumers.