CarWale Awards took place on March 7, 2008. The methodology behind CarWale Awards is mentioned below.

There are car awards, no doubt, but they only are for cars that are launched in the preceding year. We got thinking: why can't a car that was launched a few years ago still be the best in that segment, or better yet , best overall? This is certainly possible and will only give competing auto-makers even more motivation to up their game and make products which stand out!

Why are we saying this? Because, unlike the judges behind the usual awards being established names of the automotive fraternity, we are going to make YOU the judge for the CarWale Awards. We have sound reasoning to back it up: we test cars in an elaborate and evaluative manner, yes, but it is you who are married to them. It is you who spends a major chunk of your time behind the wheel - so tell us what you think about the car you drive, and whether or not you think it deserves to be the best!

Our categories are also not run-of-the-mill. Quite an exhaustive survey was done and we eventually sat down and brainstormed to bring you a list which will create quite a stir. The response from people who own cars was varied, which helped us decide what categories we would hand out awards in. The purchasing decision of people is based not on which segment the car falls in anymore, but it is more about their preferences. Hence the following categories:

• Most Preferred Car for a Small-Family
• Most Preferred Car for a Large-Family
• Most Preferred Car for a Self-Driven Executive
• Most Preferred Car for a Chauffeur-Driven Executive
• Most Preferred Car for Women
• Aspirational Car of the Year
• Most Preferred Car for Enthusiasts
• Most Preferred Car for Off-Roading Activities

In addition to this, there is one more category, "Debut of the Year", which will be decided by the editorial team, and there is reason for this as well. We are in the business of testing cars, and our testing parameters are a little different. We keep the general buyer in mind while testing the car. We also keep in mind the kind of use cars today are usually restricted to. Lastly, our vehicle testing equipment helps generate even-handed results.

Manufacturers put in a lot of R&D and greenbacks to build the machines they do. Now, since the editorial team has the opportunity to drive all the cars launched during the preceding year, they will be in best position to judge which one is worthy of our coveted award!

The awards are open to all cars sold from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007.