The newly launched (in Malaysia) Honda Jazz Hybrid has been awarded the overall Car of the Year title at this year's Malaysia Car of the Year (COTY) 2017 Awards. Honda and Mercedes-Benz were the big winners as each of them garnered five awards each. Aside from that, Dato’ Dr Zahari Husin, Managing Director of Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd was named Automotive Man of the Year 2017. This is the prelude to the upcoming Malaysia Autoshow 2017 which will be held on 9-12 November 2017 in MAEPS, Serdang.
Toichi Ishiyama, Honda Malaysia Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (second from right) receiving the Overall Car of the Year Award for Honda Jazz Hybrid from Dato' Sri Mustapa bin Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry
Speaking about the Autoshow, it looks like it is shaping up to be the most exciting auto event in Malaysia as it is huge in terms of layout and participants from what I have gathered. More details are stated in the press release below where the organisers have pulled their resources and have promised a whole lot of events for car enthusiasts as well as for the whole family. The RM10 entry fee ticket will also enable you to have a chance to win a Peugeot 208 (which you need to register via the official Autoshow app).
Now back to the COTY 2017 Awards.
The thing about this awards is that it actually covers 300 models on sale during the time of judging. The panel of judges consist of several automotive journalists who had to go through all of the cars and decide which car is deemed worthy for each category. This COTY is different from the usual car of the year awards in that it also covers cars that have been launched a while ago and not limited to new car launched during the judging period. Which explains the inclusion of various models launched a couple of years earlier.
Note that the event was organised by the Malaysia Automotive Institite, who are the policy makers and actually are the ones who are charting the national automotive policy here. With their aim to make Malaysia the hub for all things energy efficient in terms of vehicles, the award winners reflect heavily on this fact. Energy efficient cars and companies that have invested heavily in this tech have basically been awarded. Note the special award to the Tan Chong Group for Championing Sustainable Mobility - the group basically brought it cars like the Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe which are the only full electric vehicles on sale in Malaysia today.
Aside from certain special mentioned awards like the one given to the Proton Iriz for Most Improved NVH and some of the niche market high end sports cars awarded, you can notice that it is all about sustainable and energy efficient technology here. This is quite a good thing as since it has been noted that automobiles in general consume about 40% of all oil and gas products (according to an article I read), it is quite reasonable to award, or reward car makers based on this criteria.
This is also why Honda Malaysia and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia are the big winners this time. The amount of resources and investment of these two companies in Malaysia which is in line with the Energy Efficient Vehicle initiative makes them deserve such a win.
Of course, a pat on the back must also go to Volvo Cars and Hyundai who has given us fantastic hybrid cars that also deserve winning their categories. The XC90 and the IONIQ are both technological wonders for the price they are offered.
The list of winners (and the press release is below):
Automotive Man of the Year 2017:
Overall Car of the Year 2017:
Honda Jazz Hybrid
Good Design Award 2017
Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine
Plug-in Hybrid Car of the Year:
Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine
Hybrid Car of the Year:
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 1.6
Top Export Car of the Year:
Mazda CX-5
Championing Sustainable Mobility:
Tan Chong Group
Most improved NVH:
Proton Iriz
Sedan and Hatchback:
Category: Below RM50,000 Perodua Bezza 1.0
Category: RM50,001 - RM60,000 Perodua MyVi 1.5
Category: RM60,001 - RM100,000 Honda Jazz Hybrid
Category: RM100,001- RM130,000 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 1.6
Category: RM130,001 - RM160,000 Honda Civic 1.5 TC-P
Category: RM160,001 - RM200,000 Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.5
Category: RM200,001 - RM250,000 BMW 330e
Category: RM250,001 - RM300,000 Mercedez Benz C350e
Category: RM300,001 - RM400,000 Mercedez Benz E250
Category: RM400,001 - RM500,000 Mercedez Benz E300
Category: Above RM500,000 Mercedez Benz S400h
SUV and Crossover:
Category: Below RM130,000 Honda HR-V 1.8 2WD
Category: RM130-001 - RM160,000 Honda CR-V 1.5 TC 2WD
Category: RM160,001 - RM200,000 Kia Sorento 2.2D CRDI
Category: RM200,001 - RM300,000 BMW X1 sDrive20i
Category: RM300,001 - RM400,000 Mercedez Benz GLC 250 4MATIC AMG Line
Category: RM400,001 - RM500,000 Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine
Category: RM500,001 - RM700,000 Jaguar F-Pace Prestige
MPV:
Category: Below RM100,000 Honda BR-V 1.5
Category: RM100,001 - RM160,000 Toyota Innova 2.0
Category: Above 160,000 Kia Grand Carnival 2.2D
Pick-Up Truck:
Category: Below RM120,000 Toyota Hilux Double Cap 2.4G (4x4)
Category: Above RM120,000 Toyota Hilux Double Cap 2.8G (4x4)
Coupe and Cabriolet:
Category: Below RM350,000 Subaru BRZ 2.0 RWD
Category: RM350,000 - RM550,000 BMW M2 Coupe
Category: Above RM550,000 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S
L-R Yamin Vong, Co-organiser of Malaysia Autoshow 2017 and Dato' Madani Sahari, CEO of Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) updated media on the exciting activities that await visitors at the Malaysia Autoshow 2017
PRESS RELEASE
MALAYSIA CAR OF THE YEAR (COTY) AWARDS 2017
"ELECTRIFYING"
• Honda Jazz Hybrid awarded Overall Car of the Year title
• Honda and Mercedes-Benz are the biggest winners of the night, each winning five awards
• Dato’ Dr Zahari Husin, Managing Director of Perodua Sales Sdn Bhd named Automotive Man of
the Year 2017
• Malaysians can see and experience the winning vehicles at the Malaysia Autoshow 2017 that will
be held on 9-12 November 2017 in MAEPS; Autoshow shaping up to be the most exciting auto
event in Malaysia with activities galore
Kuala Lumpur, 6 November 2017 – Hybrid petrol electric vehicles have emerged victorious in the
16th Malaysia Car of the Year 2017 Awards (COTY) with the Honda Jazz Hybrid taking home the
prestigious Overall Car of the Year title.
The Malaysia COTY also recognised Tan Chong Group for its role championing sustainable mobility,
Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid 1.6 as the Hybrid Car of the Year and Volvo XC90 Twin Engine as the Plug-in
Hybrid Car of the Year. This is the first time that COTY has dedicated categories for hybrid vehicles; a
reflection of the growing demand from Malaysian car buyers and the commitment from the automotive
industry to bringing in supply more options of energy efficient mobility to consumers in Malaysia.
Over 300 models sold by brand owners or franchise holders in Malaysia were judged for 27
categories including the new categories for battery electric hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
These new categories were added after 19 hybrid models were submitted for the judging process.
Malaysia is the only country in South East Asia to offer a large number of hybrid models to customers,
in line with the Government’s direction to become the Energy Efficient Vehicles (EEV) hub in the
region.
This year, car brands such as BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda, Perodua,
Porsche, Proton, Subaru and Toyota took home awards in different categories*. The biggest winners
of the night were Honda and Mercedes-Benz, taking home five awards each.
Malaysia COTY also recognised individuals that have made outstanding contributions to the progress
of the automotive industry in Malaysia, whilst driving strategies at their company. This year, Malaysia
COTY celebrated Dato’ Dr. Zahari Husin, Managing Director of Perodua Sales Sdn. Bhd. as the
Automotive Man of the Year 2017 for his visionary leadership. Under his guidance, Perodua became
the automotive brand of choice amongst Malaysians and maintained its leading position with the
highest market share in overall Total Industry Volume. His continued emphasis on listening to
customers’ voices during product development has given the Malaysian car brand an unassailable
lead in terms of sales and a place in customers’ heart.
The Malaysia COTY 2017 was held in the run-up to the Malaysia Autoshow 2017. All winning
vehicles, and more models, will be on display for visitors to see and experience at the Malaysia
Autoshow 2017, held on 9 - 12 November 2017 in Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS).
The Malaysia Autoshow 2017, powered by the Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI), is set to be the
most anticipated auto event in Malaysia, and will see an exciting host of activities. The autoshow will
feature numerous outdoor activities, and the largest internal spaces in three halls. In the halls, visitors
can get up close and personal with cars and two-wheelers across numerous segments. An added
feature is the opportunity to admire nine cars that have been specially selected to depict the cars that
would have been on Malayan roads 60 years ago. These cars were driven by teachers, lawyers,
planters, miners as well as Royalty in the classic car show to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of the
Federation of Malaya. New car launches are also in the plan, as with a sneak preview of Malaysia’s
favorite car.
Outdoors, visitors can test drive the latest vehicle models in Malaysia or catch a Toyota 4x4 taxi ride
that features an obstacle course. Visitors are also welcomed to join in the buzz of Malaysia’s first
Karting Slalom, that has received some 500 call-ins from registrants and their supporters on Saturday
and Sunday (11-12 November 2017).
In addition, there is a special experiential and engagement area for off-road enthusiasts. From a 4x4
experience via taxi rides on a 100 metre off-road track, merchandise and souvenirs by the Land
Rover Owners Club of Malaysia to Friday and Saturday night barbeques and a screening of
adventure expeditions by Malaysian off-roaders, this is a dedicated event that is a must-visit for all
4x4 vehicles and owners who love recreational off-roading. The X-Men team will also be displaying
their Jungle Expedition and Explorer Land Rovers to give visitors a closer look at that unique breed of
vehicles.
Car buyers who are curious about Honda SENSING can gain better understanding of this advanced
technology at Honda Malaysia’s interactive booths. With the Phased Liberalisation of the Motor and
Fire Tariffs having taken effect, insurers can now adjust prices based on risk profiles. Vehicle owners
and drivers who are keen to arm themselves with more information and learn about the latest
technology that can benefit them on this aspect. The display is located at the CSE booth, and a new
start-up, Katsana, whose solution harnesses the smartphone rather than a black box installed in a
car.
MAI has also arranged for special promocode: Autoshow with GRAB who will be offering 2 rides at
RM8.00 (per user). Upon a GRAB ride arrival at the drop-off point at the Ground Level of Hall D2,
Malaysia Autoshow promoters will give two the GRAB passengers complimentary entry tickets worth
RM10 each.
All visitors who purchased the RM10 entry ticket can enter their secret number on the Malaysia
Autoshow app (downloadable for both iOS and Android devices), answer some questions and stand a
chance to win a Peugeot 208!
The opening is expected to be officiated by the Deputy of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid
Hamidi on 9 November 2017.
For more information on the COTY 2017 and Malaysia Autoshow 2017, please log on to Malaysia
Autoshow 2017 website
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