The Fiat Punto Van and Volkswagen Amarok have respectively scooped the Car Derived Van and Commercial SUV category gongs in the Continental Irish Van of the Year 2012 awards.
The nine-man Irish Motoring Writers Association (IMWA) Van Jury, chose the two vehicles and took into account such attributes as load capacity, reliability, overall versatility, cost of ownership and drive comfort.
Presenting the awards to Adrian Walsh, Fiat Ireland; and Paul Burke, Volkswagen Ireland, Paddy Murphy of Continental Tyres commented: "In today's tough commercial vehicle market, these two great vehicles have won the valuable endorsement of the Irish Motoring Writers Association. I am sure that winning this Continental Irish Van of the Year Category Award will be a huge boost for both the Punto Van and Amarok."
Michael Moroney, Chairman of the IMWA van jury, said: "The Continental Irish van category awards are of particular interest to Irish van / commercial drivers and fleet managers, as they highlight the niche models best suited to the particular requirements of the Irish market".
The Commercial SUV and Car Derived Van of the Year titles are category awards under the umbrella of the Continental Irish Van of the Year. The overall Continental Irish Van of the Year award for 2012 was won by the Volkswagen Crafter.