AUSTIN, Texas, May 8, 2017
The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) gathered for the annual Texas Auto Roundup, presented by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), to drive and evaluate 42 vehicles within 11 categories at the Circuit of the Americas May 5-8. Fifty-two journalists evaluated vehicles on the Formula 1 racetrack and chose the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as the Car of Texas.
2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Car of Texas - 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo
In addition, the group named the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S as the Performance Car of Texas and the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum as the Family Car of Texas.
2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Performance Car of Texas - 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo
2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Family Car of Texas - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo
Journalists came from across the country and from around the world, including the Netherlands, to evaluate vehicles at the Roundup. The beautiful weather over the Circuit of the Americas allowed them to drive through a variety of exercises, including tight turns, a 0-60 mph test, and a slalom course.
TAWA president Nic Phillips said, “This is a pivotal year for the Texas Auto Writers Association, moving our on-road focused event to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, home of the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix and immediately following the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Advance Auto Parts Sportscar Showdown. The vision of the event was to create an opportunity for our members to learn about the latest advances in technologies derived through racing and then experience their application in the latest street cars.”
Phillips added, “The manufacturers provided us with an incredible stable of the latest family, luxury, and performance vehicles to evaluate, and our journalists racked up more than 1,100 individual drives for more than 130 cumulative hours behind the wheel.”
Winning the Compact Car category was the 2017 Mazda3 5-Door Grand Touring, with the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback coming in as the runner-up.
The Minivan category was won by the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum, with the 2017 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD runner-up. Activity Vehicle was the 2017 Jeep Compass Latitude/Trailhawk, with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 runner-up.
In the Full-Size Luxury Car category, the 2017 Volvo S90 Inscription was the winner with the 2017 Chrysler 300 runner-up.
The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum came in first in the Green Vehicle category. The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid was the runner-up.
Performance Compact winner was the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF, with the 2017 Toyota 86 860 Special Edition runner-up. The top Performance Coupe was the 2018 Lexus LC 500h with the 2017 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 runner-up. Performance Sedan winner was the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, with the 2017 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat runner-up.
Winning in Performance Utility was the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. The 2017 Infiniti QX30 Premium AWD was runner-up.
The 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S won the Supercar category, with the 2017 Nissan GTR Premium as runner-up.
In the Best Feature competition, the hybrid powertrain of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid was the winner. The Toyota Safety Sense system was runner-up.
The award for the Best New Interior went to the 2017 Volvo S90 Inscription.
Circuit of the Americas - Austin, TX: site of the 2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo
TAWA is one of the most reputable automotive press organizations in the industry, with a mission to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and disseminate information about the industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media. TAWA produces two driving events each year—the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall. Media members enjoy driving and evaluating new vehicles competing for the coveted Car of Texas or Truck of Texas trophies. For more information, please visit www.texasautowriters.org.
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Media contact: Fabian Campos, 214.674.8987, fabian.campos@texasautowriters.org
SOURCE Texas Auto Writers Association