Mahindra XEV 9E and TVS Apache RTX 300 Win Top Honours at Acer FASTER Awards 2026

Sandeep S Rathod

14 hours ago

The fifth edition of the Acer FASTER Awards 2026, hosted by the Federation of Auto Scribes of the Electronic Realm (FASTER) in Gurgaon, celebrated the standout cars, motorcycles, technologies, and industry leaders that shaped India’s automotive landscape in 2025.

The headline winners were the Mahindra XEV 9E, crowned Car of the Year 2026, and the TVS Apache RTX 300, which secured Motorcycle of the Year. Notably, ICE and electric vehicles were evaluated together under a unified standard for the top car award, signalling the mainstream maturity of India’s EV market.

The FASTER Awards 2026 also marked a significant milestone as the platform completed five years of independent automotive evaluation in India. Over this period, the collective of leading digital automotive journalists has built a combined reach of more than 250 million readers and viewers every month, spanning six languages nationwide.

True to its founding philosophy, FASTER continues to mandate hands-on jury testing for every product vying for a trophy. The process remains uncompromising — no exceptions, no special considerations. In 2026, this meant that several high-profile launches, including models from prominent automakers, were deemed ineligible after not being presented for mandatory evaluation.

As a result, every winner at this year’s awards earned recognition purely on merit, having undergone rigorous, real-world jury assessment — reinforcing FASTER’s core commitment to credibility, transparency, and process-driven automotive excellence.

Built on Mahindra’s INGLO platform, the XEV 9E impressed the jury with its claimed 656 km range, 180 kW DC fast charging capability, and 5-star Bharat NCAP rating. Meanwhile, the Apache RTX stood out as a well-rounded, in-house developed 299cc adventure motorcycle featuring ride-by-wire, switchable traction control, and 180 mm suspension travel.

Other key winners included the Tata Sierra for Design of the Year, the Ultraviolette X47 as Electric Two-Wheeler of the Year, and the BMW X3 as Premium Car of the Year. The Honda Activa received the Timeless Icon award in the two-wheeler category.

In the personalities segment, racing driver Kush Maini was named Motorsports Personality of the Year, while Tarun Garg, MD & CEO of Hyundai Motor India, was honoured as Industry Personality of the Year.

Marking its fifth anniversary, the FASTER Awards continue to emphasise mandatory hands-on jury evaluations, reinforcing their reputation for independent and process-driven automotive recognition in India.