The fifth edition of the FASTER Awards 2026 concluded in Gurgaon, NCR, celebrating the most significant cars, motorcycles, technologies and industry leaders that shaped India’s automotive landscape in 2025. Organised by the Federation of Auto Scribes of the Electronic Realm (FASTER), the awards are judged by senior editorial leaders from India’s leading independent automotive digital publications, collectively reaching over 250 million readers and viewers every month across six languages. Every nominated product undergoes mandatory hands-on evaluation, with results independently validated by Markets & Markets and Zen Technologies.
Top Honours: Car and Motorcycle of the Year
The biggest award of the night – Car of the Year 2026 – went to the Mahindra XEV 9E. In a historic first, internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicles were judged together under a single standard for this category. Built on Mahindra’s INGLO platform, the XEV 9E delivers a claimed 656 km range, 180 kW DC fast charging capability, a Snapdragon-powered software-defined architecture and a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating. With over 30,000 deliveries already registered, it is the most commercially validated electric vehicle to win this title.
Motorcycle of the Year was awarded to the TVS Apache RTX. TVS Motor Company’s first in-house developed adventure motorcycle features a 299cc liquid-cooled DOHC engine, ride-by-wire, switchable traction control, quickshifter and 180 mm suspension travel, priced at Rs 1.99 lakh.
Technology and Electric Excellence
The Technology of the Year award was presented to the Mahindra INGLO Platform, India’s first born-electric vehicle architecture developed by an Indian carmaker.
In the dedicated EV categories:
- Electric Car of the Year:Â Mahindra XEV 9E
- Electric Two-Wheeler of the Year: Ultraviolette X47, recognised for introducing the world’s first production-integrated 77 GHz radar system.
Premium and Segment Awards
Among premium offerings:
- Premium Car of the Year:Â BMW X3
- Premium Motorcycle of the Year:Â Ducati Multistrada V4
Design and updates were also recognised:
- Design of the Year:Â Tata Sierra
- Update of the Year: Four-Wheeler:Â Kia Carens Clavis
- Update of the Year: Two-Wheeler:Â Harley-Davidson X440 T
In other product categories:
- Scooter of the Year:Â Suzuki Access
- Viewers’ Choice Award: Maruti Suzuki Victoris
- Timeless Icon: Two-Wheeler:Â Honda Activa
- Timeless Icon: Four-Wheeler:Â Toyota Innova
Non-Product Category Winners
The FASTER Awards also honour excellence beyond products.
- Auto Campaign of the Year: Skoda India – Octavia RS (Chanakya Campaign)
- CSR Initiatives Award:Â Honda India Foundation
- New Entrant of the Year:Â VinFast India
In communications and PR:
- PR Personality of the Year: Srinivas Krishnan, SVP, Adfactors PR
- Communications Personality of the Year: Anand V, VinFast India
- PR Team of the Year: PR Pundit Havas Red – Auto Division
- Communications Team of the Year:Â VinFast India
Industry Personality of the Year was awarded to Tarun Garg, MD & CEO of Hyundai Motor India.
Motorsports Personality of the Year went to Kush Maini, following his Formula 2 victory at the Monaco Grand Prix weekend in May 2025.
The Award of Honor was presented posthumously to Sanjay Sharma, widely known as Sanjay ‘Hardy’ Sharma, former Head of Motorsport and Corporate Communications at JK Tyre. Five editions in, the FASTER Awards continue to stand by one core principle: every product must submit to hands-on jury evaluation. The 2026 winners reflect not just product excellence, but the growing depth, maturity and global ambition of India’s automotive industry.
Editor’s Note
Five editions in, the FASTER Awards continue to stand by one core principle: every product must submit to hands-on jury evaluation. The 2026 winners reflect not just product excellence, but the growing depth, maturity and global ambition of India’s automotive industry.
Rohit Khurana, Founder and Editor, CarBlogIndia
