Motorist Car of the Year 2024 winners!

The Motorist Car of the Year (mCOTY) 2024 campaign has finished the race with these winning cars.

All deservingly collect their checkered flags as the respective category champions. Two are overachieving double-winners which grab a pair of victories each. 

The mCOTY 2024 star cars finished ahead of their class rivals after convincing the Motorist reviewers who road-tested the worthy nominees and attracting the Motorist readers who voted for their favourites.   

These 13 cars stood out as the best in the business and pleasure of motoring in the Singapore context. Car buyers could do worse than putting these models on their shopping shortlist when they look for their new/next automobiles at Leng Kee or Ubi.  

Automakers will continue to improve their physical products and digital services. Advanced automotive technologies will hit the road running. Vehicular trends might gain or lose traction among drivers and passengers alike. 

In the meantime, the hit list here is for motorists who want the best car they can afford, need the most bang for the buck and wish to improve their quality of drive-life.    

The Motorist Car of the Year 2024 campaign is fuelled by Esso.

Motorcar of the Year & Cat A Electric Car of the Year - BYD ATTO 3

The first of two double-winners in our mCOTY 2024 contest is the ATTO 3, BYD’s best-seller in Singapore which set the sales pace for the runners-up to chase since 2023. 

Tourists to our little island might mistake the BYD ATTO 3 as the national car of Singapore, such has been the voracious appetite that our local drivers have had for the electric SUV. It’s not hard to see why, as the ATTO 3 has always been big on features and not-so-big on price. 

The model year 2024 ATTO 3 might not be a super exciting new car or even a long-awaited mid-life refresh, but the changes do keep it up-to-date with not just its competitors, but with BYD’s own new cars.

The main winning attributes of the BYD ATTO 3 are the logical improvements to a proven, popular product; the practical cabin with delightful design elements; and the car’s cost-effectiveness in expensive Singapore. 

Cat B Electric Car of the Year - Nissan Ariya

Nissan’s second pure EV in Singapore after the Leaf is a perfectly relaxing vehicle that doesn’t need to be the highest achiever in everything electric, yet it has achieved enough in the mCOTY 2024 competition to win this category. 

The Ariya is all about the Japanese art of vehicular zen, plus, of course, the international science of electrical propulsion. It doesn’t aspire to be the zenith of electric SUV motoring. Instead, it is designed to be the zen, from Japan, for the gentleman who wants to relax in a Japanese electricar with family and friends. 

The most impressive aspects of the Nissan Ariya are its relaxing cabin with homely materials and a roomy boot; its futuristic outlook with user-friendly functionality; and its silent ninja-like movements with samurai levels of protection. 

Cat A SUV of the Year - Lexus LBX

The littlest Lexus is a downsized SUV with a surprisingly big personality and cute touches of luxury. After playing with the bonsai dragon ball that is the Lexus LBX, we could just about justify its 50-55 percent higher cost (OMV - open market value) compared to the Toyota Yaris Cross. Therefore, the little Lexus deserves more than a little respect in COE Category A. 

We are most impressed by the LBX’s compact yet upmarket crossover body, snazzy upholstery, supportive driver’s seat, good roadholding and agile urban performance. 

Cat B SUV of the Year - Omoda E5

Chery is clearly having the right idea and heading down the right track with its Omoda E5, one of the many products brought about by the Chinese electric-vehicle extravaganza.  

The car makes a solid impression with its striking looks, well-assembled interior with nice materials, and extensive selection of premium features as standard, including ventilated seats, wireless charging and a Sony hi-fi system.

Cat A MPV of the Year - BYD M6

This is a no-nonsense, value-for-money, all-electric family MPV with one eye on the future. It was also one of Singapore’s most anticipated new cars in 2024. 

The BYD M6 wins by offering lots of great features for a very good price, comfort on the road, ease of driving, and much better product attributes than the old e6. 

Cat B Electric MPV of the Year & Fashionable Car of the Year - DENZA D9

The second of two double-winners in our mCOTY 2024 contest is the D9, a stylish and luxurious people-mover by BYD’s upscale brand DENZA.

The DENZA D9 manages to score a perfect 10 with its fantastic value for money, big battery for a long driving range, and quiet comfort inside the cabin for the seven privileged occupants. 

Cat B Hybrid MPV of the Year - Toyota Alphard

This is the most valuable player in Singapore’s premier league of multi-purpose vehicles, which is why it has been well-used by captains of industry and family-taxi minibus captions. 

The current fourth-generation Alphard, as the undisputed Mount Fuji of Japanese MPVs, has reached the peak of Toyotally multi-purpose usefulness in the Asian context. It’s like having three cars in one boxy bento - executive limo, family minibus, deluxe taxi. 

The Toyota Alphard brings home the crown with its spacious cabin ideal for business leaders, onboard amenities aplenty, refined petrol-electric transitions and a smooth ride. 

Cat A Hatchback/Crossover of the Year - MG4

The British-Chinese MG4 in COE Category A guise is an affordable EV that promises a bit of cheeky driving fun, sharp styling, new cockpit features for a nicer drive, and a uniquely sporty flavour. 

If you're in the market looking for a well-appointed, spacious and wallet-friendly EV option, you have many choices. But, if due to practical reasons, you can only have one car in Singapore that isn't a sports car but still provides driving engagement, then the MG4 EV would certainly be affordable fun 4 you.

Cat B Hatchback/Crossover of the Year - Zeekr X

Geely’s Zeekr brand has moved from outside-looking-in to a bona fide competitor in the ultra-competitive EV market, starting with the Zeekr X. 

Dynamically, this is one of the best Chinese EVs that Motorist has driven to date, and it’s a proper quality product all round. Its pricing also gives tremendous value, with a killer dollar-to-horsepower ratio. 

Furthermore, the materials used for the interior feel nice and premium, while the quirky features such as the external loudspeaker provide unexpected entertainment. 

Cat A Saloon of the Year - BYD Seal

BYD expanded its portfolio in Singapore with a Singapore-exclusive 100kW version of its best-selling electric sedan and created yet another hit, really answering to what the consumer wants, which is a good deal above all else.

The BYD Seal is not only one of the better-sorted Cat A EVs on the market today, it also has almost all the features that the Cat B Seal has, but at a big discount. It is equipped with a built-in karaoke function. 

Cat B Saloon of the Year - Toyota Camry

The new Toyota Camry boasts a more refined exterior, while the upgrades to its interior are a business class in how to bridge the gap between executive and premium.

The sleek and dignified exterior redesign houses a classy, comfortable and well-equipped cabin, while the petrol-electric performance is efficient and the ride is gentle. 

Indeed, the Toyota Camry isn’t an executive uncle car anymore, because it has evolved into a quasi-premium offering with a dynamic drive. 

Hybrid of the Year - Toyota Prius

The fifth-generation model of the poster car for Toyota’s hybrid expertise is futuristic, yet surprisingly simplistic in some ways

It scores several firsts in the Motorist book of new car reviews. It’s the first Prius to turn heads every time, everywhere - from carparks to roads. it’s also the first Prius to make any driver feel pious and automatically drive gently as a mark of respect for the father of eco-friendly hybrids. 

Best of all, achieving great mileage in the petrol-electric hybrid Toyota Prius is as easy as drinking Japanese green tea. 

Sports Car of the Year - MG Cyberster

As one of the best-looking and most interesting cars to land on our shores, the Cyberster sheds some light on what our electric future might look like. 

This two-door, soft-top convertible with butterfly doors is a breath of fresh air in a world where every other electric vehicle is starting to look and feel largely the same. 

Our Sports Car of the Year 2024 is just fun and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It gives hope to motoring enthusiasts that, if and when everything goes electric, there will still be cars like the MG Cyberster with a personality and a soul. 

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