The Oscars of the motoring world took place in London’s Grosvenor House on Park Lane last night (January 8th) and our friends over at Performance Direct were lucky enough to be in attendance.

Nissan Qashqai wins big at What Car? awards feature

The cream of the crop of global car manufacturers were present to see if any of their prized vehicles would pick up a gong in the 15 potential categories.

It was a fantastic night, but one particular brand was a worthy winner and designers, developers and company leaders more than deserved to pop a couple of bottles of bubbly.

Nissan Qashqai wins big at What Car? awards

Nissan walked away with two awards on the night both for the latest Qashqai model. One of these was the most sought after of the ceremony.

The all-new version of the popular SUV claimed the title of Car of the Year at the event, fending off competition from cars in a variety of style and segments.

Nissan Qashqai wins big at What Car? awards_1

When launched in the latter half of 2013, Nissan were sure the Qashqai would blow the minds of motorists and the car’s achievements last night certainly proved they accomplished this.

Nissan said the model would be the most significant car in its modern history, delivering excellent quality in addition to a number of segment-first technological features.

Nissan Qashqai wins big at What Car? awards_4

Released in a buzz of excitement, the Qashqai has been handed plaudits through drivers, motoring experts and journalists alike, and the Car of the Year 2014 title is just the cherry on the cake.

Chas Hallett, editor-in-chief at What Car? said: “The all-new Nissan Qashqai brings excellence and polish to a class of cars that is brimming with talent and tempting buys. The Qashqai delivers low costs and first-class levels of comfort, refinement, space and safety.

Nissan Qashqai wins big at What Car? awards_2

“Nissan has thought of every last detail, and this complete approach is why the Qashqai is What Car?’s Car of the Year. The Nissan team should be justifiably proud of their achievement.”

Not only did the Qashqai triumph so spectacularly, but Nissan’s X-Trail was also voted as the Most Exciting Car of 2014 by What Car? readers.

Ford Fiesta Best Hot Hatch

Elsewhere, the Ford Fiesta achieved a couple of top accolades, taking home the titles of Best Small Car and the ST-2 variation achieving the Best Hot Hatch.

Audi also picked up a pair of prizes, as the A3 Saloon took the Best Executive Car of the Year award, while its S3 Cabriolet sibling was named Best Open-Top Car.

Audi A3

Audi S3 Cabriolet

Renault was also winner of multiple titles, thanks to the Megane Renaultsport 265 Cup claiming the Best Hot Hatch over £20,000 award for the fifth year running, the ZOE Expression being awarded the Best Green Car under £15,000 title and the Captur named the Best Small SUV under £16,000.

Megane Renaultsport 265 cup

Renault ZOE

Renault Captur

Plaudits were also given to Volkswagen, Porsche, Hyundai, Range Rover, Skoda, Kia, Citroen and Dacia, with all picking up titles across a number of categories.

It was a fantastic evening for car fans and experts last night, with the What Car? awards proving how truly spoilt we are when it comes to magnificent motors in the UK.

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