IM 5 is the first Chinese car to win ST Car of the Year

SINGAPORE – The Straits Times Car of the Year 2025 award goes to the IM 5. This is the first time in the award’s 23-year history that a Chinese car has driven away with the coveted crown.

It pipped the spicy second-place

Cupra Tavascan

electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) by a single point. The

Zeekr 7X

, which is a Chinese electric SUV, comes in third.

Given how Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) formed the majority of new models reviewed by ST over the past 12 months, it comes as no surprise for one to end up taking the win.

Eight out of the 10 cars in the final shortlist were Chinese EVs.

The

IM 5 is by IM Motors

, a joint venture between SAIC, which is a Chinese state-owned car manufacturer, e-commerce giant Alibaba and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech, an industrial park developer. IM Motors was among the wave of Chinese brands launched in Singapore in 2025.

With the majority of the 10 finalists being high-riding SUVs, the IM 5 stands out as the only low-slung four-door saloon.

And while cars offered by dealers for review tend to be the top-most model with the most toys and oomph, the only version of the IM 5 that the judging panel had access to was the 109kW, entry-level model called Luxury, rather than the higher-end Sport and Performance models.

The dominant impression from the seven seasoned motoring reviewers on the ST Car of the Year panel was how well the car drove and how polished it was.

Retired journalist Christopher Tan praised the IM 5 for successfully pairing old-school charm with technological chic, while delivering the drive and handling of a luxury saloon.

ST journalist Toh Yong Chuan lauded the car for its handling and distinctive design.

Freelance writer Lionel Seah, who contributes to ST’s Motoring section, was wowed by the IM 5’s unusual crab-crawl feature, where its rear wheels turn in the same direction as the ones in front to enable it to drive diagonally.

The judges were just as effusive over the

Cupra Tavascan

, which very nearly became joint first with the IM 5.

As the sole European car on the list, the Tavascan put up a strong showing for a brand that returned to Singapore in 2025 after about a year of absence because of a change in dealership.

The Cupra was the top model for panellist and engineer Shreejit Changaroth. He said the Tavascan proved that an EV can be fun to drive, even as a high-riding crossover vehicle, which does not usually have the ground-hugging capabilities of a conventional sports car.

The third-placed

Zeekr 7X

ranked high in Edric Pan’s books. The lawyer and contributor to the ST Motoring section praised the electric SUV for its well-sorted chassis and a spacious, exceptionally feel-good cabin.

“Who needs a (Porsche) Cayenne when you can have this?” he said.

Running very closely behind Zeekr was the dramatic

Aion Hyptec HT

. This is a Tesla Model Y-size electric SUV with rear doors that open like the wings of a bird taking flight.

The Hyptec was ST photojournalist Chong Jun Liang’s highest scorer. Beyond the showstopping doors – and the lights that flash in sync with electronic dance music – he was impressed by how premium the cabin felt while being extremely cushy and nimble to drive, calling the car a breath of fresh air.

The

BYD Sealion 7

scored highly in the books of panellist Changaroth, who described the popular SUV as the car every EV owner would want, with its space, high-quality finishing and electric driving performance.

Flying the flag as the sole Japanese car on the shortlist and the only one that has any use for a petrol pump was the

Honda Freed

. Panellist Tan remarked on how the compact seven-seater reminded him of the Toyota Sienta, which was the 2022 ST Car of the Year. But the Honda is superior to the Toyota in terms of the driving dynamics and packaging, although a shade behind in fuel efficiency.

As entry-level electric SUVs go, the

BYD Atto 2

was a strong performer in panellist Seah’s books. He said the car ticked the boxes for comfort, refinement and space with an ease of use that makes it very likable.

The tightest race yet

The 2025 edition of the award was the most closely fought battle since the current scoring system was implemented in 2022. A mere 51 points separate the top-scoring car from the one in 10th position – tighter than even the 73-point difference in the 2022 edition. In the 2023 and 2024 editions, the gap was more than 100 points.

While this is the first year that a Chinese car has taken the title, it is not the first EV in the award’s history. That honour goes to the BMW i3 in 2014. Since then, other EVs have joined the ranks. They are the Jaguar I-Pace (2019),

Porsche Taycan

(2020),

Audi e-tron GT

(2021) and

Hyundai Ioniq 5

(2023).

The motoring experts on the panel believe Chinese EVs will only become more prevalent in the coming years.

For one thing, Chinese manufacturers cannot stop themselves from introducing new models. And electric cars are becoming better all the time in terms of the initial sense of quality, advancing technology and increasing operating range.

Software and quality glitches that used to be common in Chinese cars tested just two years ago are increasingly rare.

Singapore’s push for EV adoption also plays a part. The generous subsidies to lower upfront cost and the drive to expand the EV charging network bring down the barriers for motorists to make the switch.

Still, Mr Chong harboured hopes for conventional combustion-engine cars and petrol hybrids to make some kind of comeback, if only to give consumers more variety.

Mr Toh noted that the dominance of Chinese-made crossovers in Singapore showed that more models did not mean more choices for consumers.

Mr Pan said the time is ripe for consumers to embrace electric cars. “The EV era is well and truly here, and we should rejoice and not resist. Because while they may not offer the visceral thrills of a combustion-engine sports car, EVs make so much sense every day in our urban setting. I’m an EV convert and have been for years – join me.”

Past winners