An auto award that organizers say "has nothing to do with business, power and connections" was unveiled on Jan 8 in Beijing with the Chinese model GAC Trumpchi GS5 winning the championship.

The China Auto Industry Award, also known as the Xuanyuan Award, was organized by the Chinese-language magazine Auto Business Review and Austria's EFS Business Consultancy.

Xuanyuan is the name of China's legendary Yellow Emperor who is said to have invented the wheel.

"As we welcomed the wind that blew away haze that blanketed Beijing, we hope the award is also a breeze that will inject some fresh air into China's auto industry," said Jack Yu at the opening speech of the event.

Yu, the editor-in-chief of Auto Business Review, came up with the idea in early 2013 in the hope of "promoting the auto industry's quality, sustainable and competitive development".

Free of charge, all brands in China were invited to submit an entry for a passenger vehicle that hit the market from Jan 2012 to Oct 2013.

'Changing mobility'

EFS representative Clemens Wasner said the award is different from others in that the jury of six experts from China, Germany, Japan, the US and South Korea focused on not only products but also achievements in changing Chinese mobility as well as contributions to the nation's auto industry.

The GAC Trumpchi GS5 was picked as the award winner in recognition of "building up internationally competitive know-how and delivering first-class excellence", said the jury.

The SUV went on sale in 2012. Its single-month record hit 15,000 last year.

It ranked 15th in JD Power's China Initial Quality Study in 2013, the highest rating of all Chinese brands.

The jury also gave prizes to the joint-venture models Shanghai Volkswagen New Lavida and Shanghai GM Buick LaCrosse as well as the wholly domestic products Great Wall Haval H6 and the Chang'an Eado.