Toyota has once again achieved success in the 2017 Middle East Car of the Year (MECOTY) awards, the biggest and most prestigious awards program for the regional automotive sector. The Toyota Prius bagged the ‘Future of Motoring’ special category award, while the Toyota Fortuner was named the ‘Best Midsize SUV’. The winners were chosen by a jury of 15 independent motoring journalists from leading automotive publications throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Helping to mitigate the environmental effects of automobiles has long been a priority for Toyota. Based on the stance that environmentally-friendly vehicles can only truly have a significant positive impact if they are widely used, Toyota has encouraged the mass-market adoption of hybrid vehicles across the globe. Toyota launched Prius ― the world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger vehicle ― in December 1997. Since then, Toyota hybrid vehicles (HV) have received tremendous support from consumers around the world.

What makes the Prius particularly innovative is the presence of two power sources in the form of the sophisticated electric motor and petrol engine. Thanks to the harmonious blend of the twin power sources, the car moves off under full electric power right from the start, using no petrol at all, producing zero emissions and delivering exceptional performance. The owner does not even need to worry about charging the hybrid battery – the smart Prius will take care of it by charging it through the petrol engine or when braking and decelerating. 

The Prius also offers an impressive fuel economy of 26.1 km/L, which means that when you have a full tank (capacity of 43 liters), you can easily drive over 1,000 km in ideal conditions, making the vehicle extremely fuel-efficient. As of January 31, 2017, Toyota estimated that the use of Toyota’s HVs in lieu of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles of similar size and driving performance has resulted in approximately 77 million fewer tons of CO2 emissions and saved approximately 29 million kiloliters of gasoline. 

Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative of Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation,said, “We are pleased and proud to havebeen honored with two awards at MECOTY 2017. Toyota Prius,which won the ‘Future of Motoring’ award, is an illustration of Toyota’s belief that hybrids can make a difference to our future mobility and our planet’s wellbeing. At the same time,Toyota Fortuner, winner of the ‘Best Midsize SUV’ title,has rewritten the rules in its class with its rugged and tough styling, abundant family-friendly features and superb off-road capabilities and the award further underscores the prominent positionit enjoys in this segment in the region.” 

Yoshitsugu added, “Toyota’s passion for automotive excellence is fueled by the support and loyalty of our customers. As we celebrate our success at MECOTY 2017, I express my sincere appreciation to our customers across the region for putting their faith in Toyota and continuously inspiring us to create ‘ever-better cars’.”

The second-generation Toyota Fortuner,a 7-seater SUV with full-fledged 4WD capability, launched in the Middle East last year, builds on its heritage of being a durable sport utility vehicle (SUV) with impressive off-road capabilities. With the latest Fortuner, Toyota has focused on creating a more distinctive, sleek and powerful design while improving performance and adding a wide variety of intelligent features that increase convenience and safety, and that not only make the drive highly enjoyable and comfortable, but also a more refined way to get out there and explore. 

The MECOTY awards integrates a unique nomination and scoring methodology and is the biggest and most prestigious awards program for the regional automotive sector, which is developed, tested and implemented by the most experienced ‘motoring minds’ of the industry.