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What Diesel awards may inspire car leasing customers
Businesses and individuals who are trying to decide which diesel model to opt for on a car leasing scheme may find the results of a recent competition useful. The 2009 What Diesel car of the year awards saw the Ford Fiesta drive away with the overall title.
Readers of the magazine, along with an expert panel of judges, were responsible for voting the supermini into top spot.
Commenting on the winning model, What Diesel editor Ian Robertson said: "It's a car that is perfect for these recessionary times, offering a top-class package, with a fantastic driving experience at a reasonable price."
However, for those firms and individuals looking for something slightly bigger, a number of other models also picked up accolades from the publication.
Two of those vehicles are produced by Citroen – the C5 Tourer and the new C3 Picasso.
Of these, the first was named the number one estate car and the second took the honour of top MPV.
The C3 Picasso took this award before even arriving in UK showrooms - beating off competition from 46 rivals, including the second-placed Grand C4 Picasso.
Mr Robertson stated: "It's a really likeable drive - pert and perky with a choice of 1.6-litre HDi engines and sensibly priced."
The model's 1.6 HDi unit comes in a choice of 90 hp and 110 hp editions.
Powered by this engine, the vehicle offers combined cycle fuel economy of 60.1 mpg and releases from 125 g/km of carbon dioxide.
Meanwhile, the C5 Tourer triumphed over 30 other contenders in the estate car class.
The judges praised the model for its excellent ride quality, strong refinement and impressive economy.
What Diesel claimed the car "recalibrates what to expect from an elongated hatchback load-carrier".
The vehicle comes with a choice of four HDi engines fitted with the manufacturer's Diesel Particulate Filter System.
According to Citroen, this device practically eliminates particle emissions.
Business and personal car leasing customers looking for a luxury model may want to consider the winner in the executive auto category.
The Jaguar XF took this particular honour for the second successive year, beating rivals from manufacturers such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes.
Since its launch, the car has picked up in excess of 20 international awards and managing director Geoff Cousins described the What Diesel accolade as "another fantastic win".
Meanwhile, Mr Robinson said the interior of the XF "renders most of its opposition outdated".
He also claimed it was "a deeply satisfying" vehicle to drive.
Other winners in the competition included the Skoda Superb - which was handed first place in the large car class – and the Volkswagen Golf – which took the title in the medium motor category.
The Audi A5 Cabriolet was named the number one convertible - and readers and judges considered the Volkswagen Scirocco to be the best coupe.
In the 4x4 class, the Land Rover Freelander 2 took top honours.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen was the recipient of this year's What Diesel green award for its efforts at improving its eco-friendly credentials.