Irish Car of the Year


The Continental Tyres Irish Car of the Year award was established in 1978 based on similar Car of the Year awards. It is organised and judged by the Motoring Media Association of Ireland, comprising journalists across the country. The award was initially sponsored by Semperit and more recently by Semperit's owners, Continental Tyres.
The awards have eleven categories: Irish Car of the Year, Compact Car, Medium Car, Large Car, Compact SUV, Medium SUV, Large SUV, Green/Efficient Car, Performance/Luxury Car, Hot Hatchback, and, since 2019, MPV.
Ford has won the competition eight times, with the Ford Mondeo winning the overall title the most times for an individual model. The winner for 2023 was the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. The awards ceremony is usually held each November in Dublin, with the awards presented for the following year. The awards ceremony for 2023 was held at the Westin Dublin Hotel.

Current rules

Cars are assessed by a jury of 34 of the most experienced motoring journalists in Ireland. Each jury member road tests every car individually on the following criteria:

Results

The first winner of the award was the Volkswagen Golf Diesel, which debuted four years after the regular Volkswagen Golf.
The Ford Mondeo is the only model to have won the title three times, in 1994, 2008 and 2016. It was beaten into second place in 2001 by the Renault Laguna.
The 2023 winner was the Volkswagen ID. Buzz with the van version, the ID. Buzz Cargo, winning the Irish Van of the Year title.
YearIrish Car of the Year Winner
1978Volkswagen Golf
1979Volkswagen Derby
1980Fiat Ritmo
1981Datsun Stanza
1982Ford Escort
1983Ford Sierra
1984Fiat Uno
1985Opel Kadett
1986Ford Granada
1987Fiat Croma
1988Toyota Corolla
1989Fiat Tipo
1990Renault 19
1991Fiat Tempra
1992Opel Astra
1993Toyota Carina E
1994Ford Mondeo
1995Opel Omega
1996Volkswagen Polo
1997Peugeot 406
1998Citroën Xsara
1999Ford Focus
2000Toyota Yaris
2001Opel Corsa
2002Renault Laguna
2003Mazda6
2004Toyota Avensis
2005Ford Focus
2006Suzuki Swift
2007Honda Civic
2008Ford Mondeo
2009Citroën C5
2010Peugeot 3008
2011Nissan Juke
2012Kia Rio
2013BMW 3 Series
2014Citroën C4 Picasso
2015Nissan Qashqai
2016Ford Mondeo
2017Mercedes-Benz E-Class
2018Peugeot 3008
2019Volvo XC40
2020Kia e-Soul
2021not held
2022Kia EV6
2023Volkswagen ID. Buzz
2024Hyundai Ioniq 6
2025Renault Scenic
2026Renault 5 E-Tech