SINGAPORE – The race for this year’s edition of The Straits Times Car of the Year could not have been any closer.
Two cars from the same brand tied for the top spot with 276 points after a panel of 10 judges voted. In the end, the Toyota Sienta Hybrid, a 1.5-litre subcompact seven-seater, edged out its stablemate – the bZ4X electric crossover – by an extra point after a tie-breaker round of voting.
The relatively modest car also beat eight other shortlisted models to clinch the coveted award. All the other cars cost more than the Sienta’s starting price of $158,488.
The Kia Niro Hybrid came in third, with 273 points.
This is the first time a Japanese mass-market model has landed the top accolade since the eighth-generation Honda Civic was named ST Car of the Year in 2006.
The third-generation Sienta is a deserving winner. It excels in Efficiency when compared with its peers, and knocks the competition out of the park when it comes to Practicality and Value for Money.
The new car, built on a new platform, is far more refined than its predecessor. It is better built and packs a lot more features onboard. With a drivetrain that is subdued but coherent, smooth and responsive, it is also eminently more drivable.
Freelance writer Lynn Tan, one of the judges, says: “It is impossible not to give the Sienta credit for addressing the brief of a practical family runabout so well. The icing on the cake is its price tag. It offers great value for money, especially with the current car prices.”
Neurologist Kong Yongyao adds: “The Sienta is fantastic. I could live with this car all day, all month, all year. Visibility is brilliant, and it is compact and easy to manoeuvre. Very little not to love.”
This year’s award is the 20th instalment since it started in 2003. The first was won by the first-generation Volvo XC90 seven-seat sport-utility vehicle.
Like before, all new models launched by authorised agents in the 12 months between mid-November 2021 and mid-November 2022 were considered for the shortlist. The contenders must also not be priced above $750,000.
Around 30 such cars were rounded up, down from the usual 40 to 50 because the global supply chain crisis delayed the launch of several models.
The judges, who have a combined road-testing experience of more than 200 years, sat through three rounds of deliberations before 10 cars were shortlisted.
The finalists were then put through a rigorous point-based voting system which gauged nine crucial attributes of each car. But this year, Practicality replaces Ergonomics and covers things such as how easily a car takes to refuel (or recharge), how accessible its cargo area is, how much space rear occupants have and how effortless it is to fold down or move seats, as well as attributes covered under ergonomics.
Together with Value for Money, Practicality was assigned a maximum of 10 points, while the maximum score for all the other criteria – Performance, Handling, Ride Quality, Build Quality, Efficiency, Styling and X-Factor – remained at five.
This is to balance the driver-centric nature of the other components, since a car’s worth is much more than its drivability.
ST assistant news editor Toh Yong Chuan says: “After two decades, the judges felt it was timely to relook the formula, so that it remains relevant to readers and car buyers.”
This year, electric models make up six of the 10 shortlisted cars, up from four last year. This trend is expected to continue next year as manufacturers rush to meet increasingly stringent global emission standards, as well as capitalise on tax breaks of up to $45,000 here.
Two other models in the shortlist are petrol-electric hybrids, while the remaining two are pure combustion-engine cars.
BMW took up three slots with the electric i4 saloon (No. 4), the 218i Active Tourer compact people mover (No. 10) and the sporty M240i Coupe (No. 7), while China’s BYD made its debut on the list with the Atto 3 compact electric crossover (No. 9).
The Sienta aced three qualities – Efficiency, Practicality and Value for Money – but fared relatively poorly for a number of other attributes.
The Toyota bZ4X had the highest score for Styling, as well as above-average scores for most other attributes, which explains how it tied with the Sienta after the initial round of voting.
ST executive photojournalist Chong Jun Liang says: “Toyota has found a winner in the bZ4X. The avant-garde compact crossover is sleek, sharp and displays none of the staid designs that the brand is better known for. Inside, its plush cabin feels premium. In fact, a Lexus logo will not look out of place on its steering wheel. The car handles surprisingly well for a tallish vehicle, taking corners with confidence like a lower slung ride.”
While the bZ4X has already been launched for a car-sharing programme in the upcoming Tengah new town, it is not yet available for sale to the public. In the region, the model is already available in Thailand and Indonesia, and will launch in Malaysia in 2023. So it is highly likely that it will be in Singapore showrooms by 2023.
Second runner-up Kia Niro Hybrid came close to matching the winner’s scores in Efficiency, Practicality and Value for Money.
Mr Lionel Seah, another motoring veteran on the judging panel, says: “The second-generation Niro is bigger, better equipped and more refined. Drivability is up a notch too.”
- Follow Christopher Tan on Instagram @chris.motoring
Past winners
2003: Volvo XC90
2004: Honda Odyssey
2005: Volkswagen Golf GTI
2006: Honda Civic
2007: Audi R8
2008: Jaguar XF
2009: Volkswagen Scirocco
2010: Jaguar XJ
2011: Range Rover Evoque
2012: Porsche 911
2013: Volkswagen Golf
2014: BMW i3
2015: BMW i8
2016: Volvo S90
2017: Lexus LC500
2018: Kia Stinger
2019: Jaguar I-Pace
2020: Porsche Taycan
2021: Audi e-tron GT
Panel of judges
Christopher Tan, 63, senior correspondent, The Straits Times
Dr Andre Lam, 64, dentist
Lynn Tan, 45, freelance writer
Edric Pan, 50, lawyer
Shreejit Changaroth, 65, engineer
Lionel Seah, 65, freelance writer
Dr Kong Yongyao, 34, neurologist
Toh Yong Chuan, 53, assistant news editor, The Straits Times
Chong Jun Liang, 41, executive photojournalist, The Straits Times
Sarjeet Singh, 56, lawyer
