CNH Industrial's premier global agricultural brand Case IH took top honours with its Optum 300 CVT at the EIMA 2016 exhibition held in Bologna, Italy, winning the headline title of Tractor of the Year® 2017 (TOTY).
EIMA is a biennial event that hosts some 1,900 companies from 40 countries exhibiting more than 50,000 models of machinery and equipment for all types of agricultural operations.
The TOTY 2017 awards are determined by a jury of professional trade journalists from Europe's top agricultural publications. The jury deliberated over the latest tractor models, with the 2017 edition seeing 15 finalists vie for the four main category titles: Tractor of the Year, Best Utility, Best of Specialised and Best Design.
Taking top honours in the awards was Case IH, whose Optum 300 CVT tractor won for a series of determining factors, including its focus on reducing soil compaction and improving fuel efficiency.
The model is built at CNH Industrial's plant in St Valentin, Austria. It features a new, strong yet lighter weight design with a robust front axle and structural engine design that meet customer requirements for a 250-300 horsepower tractor with a high power-to-weight ratio and a compact, manoeuvrable package.
Case IH is imported in New Zealand by C B Norwood Distributors Ltd.