Houston, TX – May 19, 2021 – The Texas Auto Writers Association is pleased to announce the award winners of the 2021 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup. The awards were announced in partnership with the Houston Summer Auto Show on May 19, 2021.
Forty automotive journalists evaluated 35 vehicles at this year’s event held at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on April 19-20, 2021. TAWA members evaluated vehicles based on their interior, exterior, value, performance and personal appeal.
This year the main award categories were Family Vehicle of Texas, Performance Vehicle of Texas, Luxury Performance Vehicle of Texas and a newly elevated category of Green Vehicle of Texas. An additional nine category awards, two feature awards and four merit awards were also awarded.
“The Texas Auto Writers Association congratulates all of the title and category winners, and thanks all of our automotive members and partners for joining us at the 2021 Auto Roundup,” said TAWA President Kristin Shaw. “Everyone in attendance was happy to have the opportunity to drive and network at the Texas Motor Speedway.”
Like the 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo held last fall, the spring Auto Roundup was held amid strict health and safety protocols that included requiring face masks, sanitizing vehicles between drives and creating a two-wave event to limit the number of journalists present at one time.
The Chrysler Pacifica was named the Family Vehicle of Texas, its fifth consecutive win since the nameplate was reintroduced in 2016 as a 2017 model. The Auto Roundup was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Toyota and Lexus each took home an overall award. The Toyota Supra was named Performance Vehicle of Texas and the Lexus LC 500 took the Performance Luxury Vehicle of Texas crown.
“A commitment to excellence in engineering, design and performance is something that both Toyota and Lexus takes to heart, and we are proud of these two vehicles for leading the pack and competition,” said Greg Thome, Senior Manager, TMNA Corporate Communications. “We are especially honored to receive this recognition here in our home state of Texas.”
TAWA elevated the former Green Vehicle category to major award status, given the growth in electrified vehicles. The Green Vehicle of Texas award went to a newcomer, the new all-electric Volkswagen ID.4.
“It’s a great honor that ID.4 has been named the Green Vehicle of Texas,” said Matthew Renna, vice president E-mobility and innovation, Volkswagen of America. “Having organizations like Texas Auto Writers Association educate the public on our brand’s electric future – and EVs in general – is valuable to the transition to electrification.”
The Texas Auto Writers Association wishes to thank our generous sponsor Blink Charging for its support of this year’s event. TAWA also thanks our participating members, automakers and press fleets for their support of this event and vigilance in adhering to safety protocols.
"In what has been a challenging past year for the automotive industry, we applaud the continued efforts by automakers to continually enhance their lineups focusing on user-friendly design, technology and safety,” said Shaw. “In many respects, since the pandemic began, vehicles are more important than ever and those represented at the Auto Roundup are all deserving of applause. "
OVERALL AWARDS
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FAMILY VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Chrysler Pacifica
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PERFORMANCE VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Toyota Supra
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LUXURY PERFORMANCE VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Lexus LC 500
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GREEN VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Volkswagen ID.4
CATEGORY AWARDS
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BEST MINIVAN: Chrysler Pacifica
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PERFORMANCE SEDAN: Dodge Charger
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LUXURY CAR ($40,000-$65,000) Genesis G80
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LUXURY CAR ($65,000-$100,000): Lexus LC 500
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PERFORMANCE COUPE: Toyota Supra
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MIDSIZE CAR: Volkswagen Arteon
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COMPACT VEHICLE: Mazda3 Hatchback Turbo
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MIDSIZE CUV: Nissan Rogue
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LUXURY CUV: Genesis GV80
FEATURE AWARDS
MERIT AWARDS (based on calculated points)
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BEST VALUE: TIE
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Dodge Challenger
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Lexus IS 350
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BEST INTERIOR: Lexus LC 500
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BEST EXTERIOR: Lexus LC 500
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HIGHEST PERSONAL APPEAL: Lexus LC 500
About TAWA
The Texas Auto Writers Association was founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, Dripping Springs and most recently at the Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas.
In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, returned in 2021 after being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.
Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com