KUALA LUMPUR: The 2023 edition of the StarCarSifu Editors’ Choice Awards saw Proton, Toyota and BMW emerging as the big winners.
Proton X90 Flagship won the Local Car of the Year award; Toyota Vios G took the Asian Car of the Year title; while the BMW i7 xDrive60 M Sport was chosen as the Continental Car of the Year.
In total, 54 cars competed in 30 categories at this year's awards.
Shortlisted cars are from 25 brands such as Aston Martin, BMW, BYD, Chery, Ford, GWM, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jaguar, Kia, Range Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Perodua, Peugeot, Porsche, Proton, Subaru, Toyota and Volvo
BMW led the race to bag four wins, Honda netted three wins, while Toyota and Proton secured two wins each.
What is crystal clear at this year's awards is the pace of electric mobility with the rising number of electric cars across a wide swathe of price segments that are starting to make their presence felt.
Electrification is gaining momentum and there's no looking back!
BMW i7 xDrive60 M Sport took the Continental Car of the Year trophy because it delivers a better luxury experience. The RM730,000 (with extended warranty) also bristles with advanced technology combined with a sporty character and competitive all-electric driving range of over 600km.
BMW's other winning entries were the BMW 330i M Sport and BMW i4 eDrive35 M Sport.
Toyota Vios G, priced at around RM96,000, was the 2023 Asian Car of the Year as it impressed the judges with its stylish fastback-like design along with superior levels of refinement, driving dynamics and safety features.
Proton's biggest SUV is deserving of the Local Car of the Year award as the RM153,000 vehicle is the national automaker's first mild-hybrid and delivers great value for those seeking a large, roomy and well-appointed three-row SUV.
A Proton executive being interviewed after the X90 won the Local Car of the Year for 2023.
Guest of honour Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Jana Santhiran Muniayan was represented by the ministry's Procurement and Finance Division under secretary Guna Arulalan David. In delivering Jana's speech, Guna said the country's automotive industry has grown from strength to strength.
"We have not only become an attractive base for global automotive manufacturers, but we have also successfully established our own national cars.
"To further strengthen the industry, the implementation of the National Automotive Policy 2020 has successfully opened more windows of opportunities for the country."
He said that with the policy in place, Malaysia had been able to tap into new areas of advancement to boost growth, especially in the areas of technology, engineering, manufacturing and sustainable development.
He also said the government realised the importance of having enhanced incentive packages which have been customised for both local and global automotive players.
"This was done to spur new and quality investments in the industry, which also includes the Energy Efficient Vehicles category," he said.
The Sime Darby group proudly showing their trophies.
Also present at the event were Malaysian Automotive Association president Shamsor Mohd Zain, Malaysian Advertisers Association president Claudian Navin Stanislaus, Media Specialists Association vice-president Sue-Anne Lim, Star Media Group (SMG) Chief Business Officer Lydia Wang and SMG Chief Content Officer Esther Ng.
Meanwhile, SMG chief executive officer Alex Yeow said: "We introduced StarCarSifu with the objective of providing our readers with comprehensive guides and the latest updates on Malaysia’s automobile industry.
"And tonight, I am pleased to share that we are celebrating StarCarSifu’s eighth anniversary this year. We would not be here today if it wasn’t for the unwavering support from our business partners from the automotive industry," he said.
Yeow also said the automobile industry is undergoing a transition as more and more companies are giving serious thought to introducing vehicles that are environmentally friendly.
"As part of this, we have witnessed rising interest in electric vehicles or EVs.
One for the camera. Guest of honour Guna (middle) with (from left) Ng, Shamsor, Yeow, Wang, Stanislaus and Lim.
"For those of you who have ventured into green technology innovation, we look forward to hearing more about your achievements in the near future," he said.
The awards, organised by SMG and StarCarSifu, honour outstanding cars for advancements and innovations in areas such as design, features and green technology.
Cars are judged in areas such as safety, performance, comfort, handling, styling, value-for-money proposition as well as their individual “wow” factor
To be shortlisted for the awards, the vehicles must have been launched in Malaysia from Oct 1, 2022, to Sept 30, 2023.
Judging was done by StarCarSifu's editorial team.
The awards were first held in 2016 and became an annual event in 2017, 2018 and 2019. It took a break in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and resumed last year.
READ MORE: Why the cars won
BYD staff having a wefie moment.
