Cars, Bikes & Trucks presented the annual Car of the Year (COTY) Awards Night at The Saujana Kuala Lumpur in Glenmarie, Shah Alam yesterday.
For the first time in the New Straits Times-Maybank COTY Awards' 11-year history, a pick-up truck won the overall award.
Ford's game changing Ranger 2.2 XLT won the hearts of the nine COTY panel judges and was crowned the "Overall Car of the Year" award, beating 67 other nominated models.
"Now, genuinely, you can buy this truck and use it as a car," said one of the COTY judges.
The Ranger garnered the most votes from the COTY panel of nine judges, citing its ride quality and refinement, all terrain capability, value-for-money proposition and on-board features.
With prices starting from RM89,888 (on the road with insurance) and its radical revamp as an urban utility vehicle with an interior that is even more passenger friendly than some cars, the Ranger swept all the judges' votes for the overall title.
Ford's commendation didn't end with just the Ranger. The Ranger's road focused family car sibling, the Ford Focus, also picked up the "Family Car of the Year" award.
BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot each picked up double category wins in this year’s COTY competition, whereas Nissan and Proton both picked up a category win together with a Special Mention award.
BMW’s 328i was awarded the “Premium Executive (below RM300,000) Award”, while the renewed 528i with its new 2-litre turbocharged engine won the “Premium Executive (above RM300,000) Car of the Year” award.
The Mercedes-Benz B200 and SLK claimed the “Premium Compact Car of the Year” and “Coupe/Cabriolet Car of the Year” awards respectively.
The “Executive Car of the Year” award and “Station Wagon of the Year” title were swept by the Peugeot 508 in sedan and station wagon guise respectively.
Meanwhile, the Proton Exora Bold clinched the “MPV of the Year” for the local car maker and the Saga FLX was awarded with a Special Mention award as the “Best Value Compact Sedan of the Year.”
The Nissan Elgrand took home the “Premium MPV of the Year” title, while the Special Mention award of “Eco Innovation Car of the Year” was presented to the Nissan Leaf.
Honda’s CR-Z two-door hybrid was named the “Compact Car of the Year” whereas the Toyota 86 took the “Performance Car of the Year” title.
In the SUV category, the Mazda CX-5 was awarded the title of “SUV of the Year”.
The very popular Range Rover Evoque added another feather to its cap by clinching the “Premium SUV of the Year” award.
In recognition of its sleek design, the Hyundai Elantra was presented with the “Good Design” Special Mention Award.
The Kia Optima bagged the “2012 People’s Choice” Award, which was based on votes received from the NST/Maybank Car of the Year 2012 People’s Choice Contest published in the New Straits Times.
The winners were selected from 67 new or extensively facelifted or re-engineered models that were introduced to the local market between October 2011 and October 2012, and divided into 14 categories.
The winner of the “Overall Car of the Year” title was selected from the list of 14 category winners.
The automotive industry is not just about cars, but also the hardworking people behind the industry.
Datuk Samson Anand George, chief operating officer of Nasim Sdn Bhd (the sole importer and distributor of Automobiles Peugeot) was voted the “Automotive Man of the Year” for his achievements in reviving the Peugeot brand in Malaysia, which is now one of the leading mainstream European brands in the country.
The New Straits Times–Maybank 2012 COTY Awards Night was hosted by the New Straits Times and title sponsor Maybank Berhad.
The event is endorsed by the Malaysian Automotive Association.
List of winners
- Compact Car of the Year - Honda CR-Z
- Premium Compact Car of the Year - Mercedes-Benz B 200
- Family Car of the Year - Ford Focus
- Executive Car of the Year - Peugeot 508
- Premium Executive Car of the Year (below RM300,000) - BMW 328i
- Premium Executive Car of the Year (above RM300,000) - BMW 528i
- Performance Car of the Year - Toyota 86
- Coupe/Cabriolet of the Year - Mercedes-Benz SLK
- Station Wagon of the Year - Peugeot 508 SW
- SUV of the Year - Mazda CX-5
- Premium SUV of the Year - Range Rover Evoque
- MPV of the Year - Proton Exora Bold
- Premium MPV of the Year - Nissan Elgrand
- Pick-Up Truck of the Year - Ford Ranger 2.2
- Overall Car of the Year 2012 - Ford Ranger 2.2
- Automotive Man of the Year 2012 - Datuk Samson Anand George, Chief Operating Officer, Nasim Sdn Bhd
Special Mention Awards
- People’s Choice Award 2012 - Kia Optima
- Best Value Compact Sedan of the Year - Proton Saga FLX SE
- Eco Innovation Award of the Year - Nissan Leaf
- Good Design Award of the Year - Hyundai Elantra