One of India’s most prestigious
automotive award platforms, the Acer FASTER Awards, concluded its fifth edition
in Gurugram. This year, the Mahindra XEV 9e was crowned Car of the Year 2026,
while the TVS Apache RTX won the title of Motorcycle of the Year 2026. Organized by the Federation of Auto
Scribes of the Electronic Realm (FASTER), the fifth edition honored cars,
motorcycles, technology, and automotive personalities that delivered
outstanding performance in the Indian market during 2025. Winners were
announced across more than 13 product and non-product categories.
FASTER Awards are presented by
editorial heads and senior journalists from India’s leading independent
automotive digital media platforms. The fifth edition jury included:
- Promeet Ghosh
(DriveSpark)
- Gaurav Yadav
(Gaadiwaadi)
- Roshan Joseph
(PilotOnWheels)
- Rohit Khurana
(CarBlogIndia)
- Amit Chhangani
(Motoroids)
- Naren Sharma
(GearFliq)
Each product undergoes mandatory
hands-on testing before the final decision is made.
First
Time: ICE and EV Judged Together
For the first time, petrol, diesel,
and electric vehicles were judged on the same parameters in the Car of the Year
category. The Mahindra XEV 9e emerged as the winner in this highly competitive
evaluation. This marks a significant milestone
for Indian engineering, as the XEV 9e is built on Mahindra’s born-electric INGLO
platform, developed in-house by the company.
Key
Highlights of Mahindra XEV 9e:
- Claimed range of up to 656 km
- 180 kW DC fast charging capability
- Snapdragon-powered software-defined architecture
- 5-star Bharat NCAP safety rating
- Over 30,000 units already delivered
Motorcycle
of the Year: TVS Apache RTX
The TVS Apache RTX won the
Motorcycle of the Year title. Powered by a 299cc liquid-cooled DOHC engine, the
bike comes equipped with ride-by-wire technology, traction control,
quickshifter, and 180 mm suspension travel. It is priced at ₹1.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
According to the jury, the Apache
RTX has set a new benchmark as TVS Motor’s first adventure motorcycle.
Major Winners at Acer FASTER Awards 2026
Product
Categories
- Car of the Year:
Mahindra XEV 9e
- Motorcycle of the Year: TVS Apache RTX
- Electric Car of the Year: Mahindra XEV 9e
- Electric Two-Wheeler of the Year: Ultraviolette X47 (with 77 GHz radar system)
- Premium Car of the Year: BMW X3
- Premium Motorcycle of the Year: Ducati Multistrada V4
- Design of the Year:
Tata Sierra
- Scooter of the Year:
Suzuki Access
- Timeless Icon – Two-Wheeler: Honda Activa
- Timeless Icon – Four-Wheeler: Toyota Innova
- Update of the Year – Two-Wheeler: Harley-Davidson X440
- Update of the Year – Four-Wheeler: Kia Carens Clavis
- Viewer’s Choice Award: Maruti Suzuki Victoris
Industry & Motorsport Awards
- Technology of the Year: Mahindra INGLO Platform
- New Entrant of the Year: VinFast India
- Industry Personality of the Year: Tarun Garg (MD & CEO, Hyundai Motor India)
- Motorsports Personality of the Year: Kush Maini (F2 Monaco winner)
- PR Personality of the Year: Srinivas Krishnan (Adfactors PR)
- Communications Personality of the Year: Anand V (VinFast India)
Additionally, the Award of Honor
was posthumously presented to Sanjay 'Hardy' Sharma, who launched the National
Racing Championship in 1997.
Why
Are FASTER Awards Special?
One of the key highlights of the
Acer FASTER Awards is its credibility. In the past five years, no winning
product category has faced controversy. Every winner must undergo mandatory
hands-on jury testing. In fact, several major models were not even nominated
this year simply because they did not participate in the evaluation process.
Source:https://hindi.drivespark.com/four-wheelers/2026/faster-awards-2026-mahindra-xev-9e-car-of-the-year-tvs-apache-rtx-motorcycle-of-the-year-039567.html
By CarVaidya
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