Louth Motors: Triumph for BMW and Kia at 2027 Irish Car and Van of the Year Awards.

Last Thursday saw the crowning of the 2027 Irish Car of the Year. The awards were held in the Royal Dublin Convention Centre in Ship Street, Dublin just behind Dublin Castle and at the same time as the EU Summit was taking place in that other Convention venue across the Liffey.

There was a fear that getting to the event would be chaotic but as it worked out it was a cinch as it seemed everyone was avoiding Dublin that day.

This year the accolade went to the wonderful BMW iX3, the second time BMW has claimed the prestigious award.

The process is simple: a panel of 29 Motoring Media Association of Ireland jurors voted for the overall winner from the winners of the nine category winners. Those category winners this year were:-

· Irish Small Car: Nissan MICRA

· Irish Small/Crossover: Kia EV2

· Irish Compact Car: Hyundai IONIQ 3

· Irish Small/Compact Crossover: Nissan LEAF

· Irish Medium SUV: Citroen C5 Aircross

· Irish Large Car / 7-seater: Kia PV5 Passenger

· Irish Premium Car: Mercedes-Benz CLA

· Irish Performance Car: Honda Prelude

· Irish Premium SUV: BMW iX3

I gave the BMW my top vote in its category as it is such an exemplary piece of engineering and raises the bar in terms of range, taking EVs to a place I believed was years away.

My overall choice was different though. I gave it to Nissan Leaf, a car that in pure driving terms lets you forget it is electric.

Nissan has injected considerable driver's joy into it and given it a very premium feel. The fightback from these and other manufacturers against the Chinese competition is well underway with these two cars at the forefront. I expected the overall result to be closer, but in the end the BMW iX3 ran away with it with 17 of the 29 jurors giving it their top vote.

The Irish Van of the Year Awards were also held at the ceremony.

The overall title went to the Kia PV5 Commercial adding to the PV5 Passenger Irish Large Car / 7-seater award won on the day.

This is a huge feather in Kia's cap as the brand only recently entered the commercial van market in Ireland. The Pick-Up award went to the KGM Musso EV while the Commercial SUV honour went to the Citroen C5 Aircross Commercial which also completed a double after the C5 Aircross also won the Irish Medium SUV of the Year.

The 2027 award marked the 7th year in a row that an electric car has won the Irish Car of the Year, showing just how widespread electric cars have become in Ireland.

Indeed, the Honda Prelude, winner of the Performance Car of the Year award, was the only winner, car or van, with a combustion engine, albeit a petrol-hybrid one. For sure, Ireland has been electrified