Most preferred cars by Kenyans in 2019

Leading online vehicle marketplace Cheki Kenya on Tuesday held the first ever Cheki Car Awards at The Den, dusitD2 hotel, in Nairobi.

The awards, according to a statement to newsrooms, was meant to rank cars in selected categories and enlighten Kenyans on specifications aimed at helping them make better decisions when buying.

Cheki Car Awards was built around 11 categories, with 5 nominees in each, and the survey sent to 300,000 car lovers and enthusiasts after which 12,000 votes were collected.

“The votes were in three categories; the general public, car dealers from all over Kenya and a balanced mix of selected expert automotive writers and celebrated car enthusiasts,” said Cheki Kenya CEO Resian Leteipan.

Ms. Leteipan, who spoke during the event, added that “most first-time car owners struggled with deciding which car would best suit their current needs owing to the close similarities between different makes within specific categories of cars.”

The judging panel was composed of: Trevor Lamenya (motoring journalist), JM Baraza (automotive and motoring correspondent), Betty Kyalo (media personality), Bobby Mwirigi (motoring influencer) and Leonie Elverfeldt (Managing Director, RADP East Africa).

Toyota Kenya bagged the highest number of  awards, followed by DT Dobie.

• Car of the year – Toyota Land Cruiser (Toyota Kenya)
• Best budget car – Mazda Demio (CMC Motors)
• Best family car – Toyota Alphard (Toyota Kenya)
• Best SUV car – Range Rover Sport (Inchcape)
• Best hatchback car – Volkswagen Golf (DT Dobie)
• Best city car – Honda Fit (Honda)
• Best luxury car – Mercedes S350 (DT Dobie)
• Best High performance car – Subaru Impreza STI (Subaru Kenya)
• Best commercial car – Isuzu N-series (General Motors)
• Best motorbike – Honda CBR (Honda Kenya)
• Best used car dealership – Motorhub
• Best new car dealership – DT Dobie