Nissan scooped top prize at the inaugural FirstCar Awards which were presented on 25 April to celebrate the ‘best in driver training, safety products and cars’.
The FirstCar Awards – which are separate to the FirstCar Young Driver Road Safety Awards – have been established to recognise and rewards companies that are ‘leading the way for young drivers’, and to help guide young drivers when making important purchasing decisions.
The 2018 FirstCar Awards ceremony, sponsored by Warranty Direct, took place at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, and brought together leading figures from the motor and driver training industries.
The headline award – Car of the Year – went to the Nissan Micra, recognising it as the best new car for young drivers.
David Motton, FirstCar’s editor and chair of the judging panel, said: “You couldn’t want for a better first car than the Micra. With low insurance group ratings and a range of efficient engines, the Nissan is affordable to run. It’s also equipped with the kind of safety features you’d expect of a much bigger and more expensive car.”
Alex Smith, managing director of Nissan GB, said: “With advanced driver assistance systems as standard, over 100 personalisation combinations, the unique BOSE Personal sound system and low tax and fuel costs, it’s clear why Micra has been and will continue to be a logical and fun choice for younger drivers.”
The previous generation Ford Fiesta (08-17) was named Used Car of the Year award for its reliability, safety and affordability in terms of repair costs.
The accolade of Best National Driving School went to RED Driving School, which was praised by the judging panel for its approach to online learning and social media, and support for learner drivers and instructors.
Nayesh Radia was named Driving Instructor of the Year, while the Citroën C3 won the Driving Instructor Car of the Year category.
FirstCar Award winners:
- National Driving School of the Year (sponsored by Citroën): RED Driving School
- Regional Driving School of the Year ( sponsored by Driving Test Success): Diverse Road Safety
- Driving Instructor of the Year (sponsored by Marmalade Network): Nayesh Radia
- Driving Instructor Car of the Year (sponsored by Intelligent Instructor): Citroën C3
- Best In-Car Product: Nextbase 612GW Dash Cam
- Best Safety Technology (sponsored by ingenie): Toyota Safety Sense
- Green Car of the Year : Renault Zoe
- Safe Car of the Year (sponsored by Driving Test Success): Volkswagen Polo
- Used Car of the Year (sponsored by Warranty Direct): Ford Fiesta (08-17)
- Car of the Year (sponsored by Warranty Direct): Nissan Micra
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