How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Every Multipurpose Vehicle (MPV) that qualifies for this category needs to be powered and propelled solely by electricity from battery packs and sold with a Category B Certificate of Entitlement (Cat B COE). Easy peasy.

Meet The Contenders

Representing the UK is the MG M9 (left), flying China’s flag is the Denza D9 Grandeur (right), and championing Germany is the Opel Combo e-Life.

The MG M9 is capacious and comfortably seats seven. It’s loaded with features and creature comforts, tech is pretty good, and is practical to the hilt. Despite it’s huge size, the M9 looks sharp from the front and rear. It’s silent, brisk and rides very smoothly.

The Denza D9 Grandeur is BYD’s answer to premium MPVs. It looks bold on the outside, sumptuously appointed with upmarket looking and feeling materials on the inside, and tech is well integrated. Lots of features and creature comforts abound for occupants to play with as the D9 glides along in almost eerie silence and soaks up undulations along the way.

The Opel Combo e-Life prefers to keep things simple, down to earth and practical. Its got an airy ambience on the inside, hard-wearing materials that will likely stand up to abuse from the young’uns, and sufficient tech to get things done but not get in the way. It rides smooth, relaxed and silent, and will keep your clan happy on the obligatory family outings.

Three came, but there’s one clear winner.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B Single Motor SUV EV
Denza D9 Grandeur

The Denza D9 Grandeur takes the W with 423 points. Despite being BYD’s first foray into the premium segment, the D9 knocks it out of the park. The way ‘upmarket’ is executed here is just brilliant, and it showed with the final decision being unanimous.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Denza D9 Grandeur for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat B MPV EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Every Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) that qualifies for this category needs to be powered solely by electricity from battery packs, propelled by a single electric motor, sold with a Category B Certificate of Entitlement (Cat B COE), and priced above S$250,000 in Singapore’s market.

Meet The Contenders

Representing Stuttgart, Germany are two facelifted Mercedes-Benz siblings, the EQA (left) and EQB (right).

Flying the flag for Ingolstadt, Germany is the Audi Q4 e-tron (left), and championing Japan is the Nissan Ariya (right).

The Mercedes-Benz EQA takes the efficiency-driven EQ design aesthetic and shrink-wraps it onto a more petite package. With plush and upmarket-feeling materials on the inside, along with sufficient tech to keep younger owners happy, the EQA offers a silent cruise to those who journey within it.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB, brings a taller and more practical body shape to the Cat B single motor SUV game. It’s more spacious on the inside, can seat seven in a pinch, and has sufficient tech. It’s easy to drive, easy to place, and silent and comfortable on the move.

The Audi Q4 e-tron offers a silent, smooth and refined ride in a coupe-like body style. However, it can also cleanly carve out corners if one so desires. Audi’s implementation of tech is spot-on without being overboard, and the interior feels upmarket and is practical.

The Japanese take on the Cat B single motor EV SUV comes in the form of the Nissan Ariya. Futuristic and familiar feeling, the Ariya is streamlined and elegant on the outside and upmarket-minimalist on the inside. With well-integrated tech, it’s spacious, practical and drives with the agility of a sports car.

Decisions, decisions…

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B Single Motor SUV EV
Nissan Ariya

The Nissan Ariya takes the W with 401 points. Despite delays due to the chip shortage, Nissan has produced a very respectable and desirable electric SUV. And it showed with our votes being unanimous.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Nissan Ariya for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat B Single Motor SUV EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Hatchbacks and liftbacks that qualify for this category need to be sold with a Category B Certificate of Entitlement (COE Cat B). Done deal.

Meet The Contenders

Representing Germany is the Volkswagen Golf R (left), flying the British flag is the Mini Cooper SE (right), and championing Japan is the Toyota Prius.

If it’s hot-hatchery you’re after, the Volkswagen Golf R needs no introduction. 315hp and 420Nm of torque make this top-shelf Golf take off like a rocket. Practicality doesn’t take a backseat either, as it has very usable back seats and boot. Strap your family in and go for a blast!

The Mini Cooper SE may be electric, but it drives and feels like a Mini should. The interior is very cheerfully appointed, there’s enough tech to keep the Mini driver happy, and it’s practical for its relatively diminutive size too!

The Toyota Prius received the title “King of Full Hybrids” in our review because that’s how brilliantly economical its hybrid system is. Add to that Toyota’s legendary reliability, straightforward interior and decent luggage space and you’ve got a family liftback that’s hard to beat.

One ICE, one pure electric and one hybrid. Interesting mix we have this year. And so, the winner is…

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B Hatchback
Mini Cooper SE

The winner with 398 points is the Mini Cooper SE. Mini has absolutely nailed its traditional formula in an electric vehicle. That it is still so much fun to drive is what gave it the resounding win.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Mini Cooper SE for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat B Hatchback!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Contenders need to be stationwagons aka estates. Easy.

Meet The Contenders

Representing Germany is the BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 (left), flying the Czech flag is the Skoda Octavia Combi Sportline (right), and championing Japan is the Subaru WRX Wagon GT-S.

The BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 is not only spacious on the inside for passengers but more practical for barang-barang as well. Suitably upmarket and executive looking and feeling, the i5 is festooned with tech and premium materials, is quick on its feet and comfortable while cruising.

The Skoda Octavia Combi looks sharp and wouldn’t feel out of place being driven by a junior executive. It has nifty touches on the inside, sufficient tech, serious practicality and an overall sensible and straightforward atmosphere. It’s no wonder that Skoda is often referred to as “the thinking person’s Volkswagen.”

The Subaru WRX Wagon GT-S takes the car enthusiasts’ rally-heritage turbocharged all-wheel drive formula and plonks a useful stationwagon rear-end onto the car. This, along with the refined newer FA-series turbo engine makes this WRX feel much more mature. It can still take turns in anger and rocket out of corners, all the while lugging your family and their luggage with aplomb.

And the winner is…

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Wagon
BMW i5 Touring eDrive40

The winner with 349 points is the BMW i5 Touring eDrive40. It’s premium. It’s comfortable. It’s got lots of tech. It’s practical. And… there’s no escaping the brand cachet of the BMW roundel.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the BMW i5 Touring eDrive40 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Wagon!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Sedans in this category need to be priced mid-to-upper table in Singapore’s market, and should be from brands well known for their premium offerings. They can also be performance-oriented. Done.

Meet The Contenders

Four Germans and an Italian feature in this line-up.

The first three Germans represent Stuttgart. They are the Mercedes-Benz E 200 (left), Mercedes-AMG C 63 S (right) and Porsche Panamera.

Flying Bavaria’s flag for the Germans is the BMW 520i (left) and championing Italy is the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce (right).

The Mercedes-Benz E 200 is the go-to status symbol for those who choose to show off their wealth. Elegant, comfortably plush, good tech-infused interior and looks that say ‘success’ without screaming it, this E 200 has solid executive vibes going for it.

If more muscle is preferred, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S fits the bill. 671hp and 1,020Nm of torque see to that. Four doors means it’s more practical than a purpose-built sports car. The pointed star emblem means it’s wholly suitable for executives. And it goes like the clappers. Phew!

The Porsche Panamera takes the premium/performance sedan game to the next level. Boy, can it dance through corners and rocket out of them! But it can also do the daily-cruise extremely well.

Very little can upset the Panamera’s superbly-sorted air suspension. The interior is a very nice place to be, with an upmarket look and feel. What more could you ask for?

The BMW 520i is undoubtedly an excellent luxo-barge for those who are reluctant to step up to the 7’er. Ride comfort is great. The interior is huge for a 5-Series. Quality materials adorn the inside and there’s tech up the wazoo to satiate techno-geeks.

The exterior looks sharp and imposing. And it’s pretty frugal. Executives, take note.

However, if you crave daily excitement without breaking the bank, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce is the premium/performance sedan to own.

The way it looks turns snaps heads. It’s snug and wraps around the driver, as a good performance sedan should. It can string a set of bends together with aplomb and sing with gusto on its way out.

It’s got lots of Italian flair and charm, and is practical to boot. This sedan will reboot your soul.

Five excellent choices, but only one can win.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Premium Sedan
Porsche Panamera

The winner with 346 points is the Porsche Panamera. It offers the right mix of premium look and feel, comfort, practicality and performance. And it’s always a plus to be able to say, “I drive a Porsche.”

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Porsche Panamera for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Premium Sedan!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Price notwithstanding, the Overall Best EV is chosen from the electric vehicles (EVs) that won in Round 1. We counted them. There were nine. Battle Royale indeed. Ding-ding-ding!

Check out their respective Round 1 awards below.

Meet The Contenders

BMW i7 xDrive 60

The BMW i7 xDrive 60 offers so much luxury car for its price. It’s expensive, no doubt, and we appreciate the technology inside that would keep wealthy tech geeks happy for hours on end and is pretty easy to use.

We are especially impressed by how well the i7 drives and rides, and how much of a compelling proposition it has become to the upper crust of society, and this is why it won Best Luxury EV in Round 1.

BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35

The BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35 brings brand cachet and sufficient technology to the table while driving, riding and handling well like a BMW should. Being a unique contender vis-a-vis price in the premium EV market segment sets the BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35 apart from everyone else, and it’s also the most frugal premium EV we’ve tested to date. No surprise then that the i4 clinched Best Premium EV in Round 1.

Hyundai IONIQ 6

The Hyundai IONIQ 6 offers a very compelling price-to-performance ratio in its market segment. From a tech-focused interior to acceleration that can cause one to draw a sharp breath, there is much here that appeals to us.

Throw in the decidedly Saab-esque swooping and quirky aerodynamic exterior design, which likely caused a large leaf blown toward the IONIQ 6 on the highway to go absolutely space-shuttle status skywards upon contact with the front bumper, and it’s not difficult to see why it snaps heads and gets fingers pointing as it drives past. This is why it won Best Cat B EV in Round 1.

BYD Dolphin

The BYD Dolphin may be small in stature but it makes a big impression for sure. It looks bright and cheerful and turns heads as one drives by. It offers a tech-focused interior that’s nice, comfortable and modestly spacious.

Its battery pack offers great range, thanks to how efficient the Dolphin is. Its value-proposition is what won the Dolphin the Best Cat A Hatchback EV award in Round 1.

BYD Atto 3

The BYD Atto 3 is roomy, spacious, comfortable and has an infotainment screen that can be flipped from landscape to portrait and vice-versa. It also has a clean exterior design that will appeal to many.

On the road, the Atto 3 is quiet, comfortable and very energy-efficient with good range. It is also easy to drive and place into parking spots. Not difficult to see why it clinched the title of Best Cat A SUV in Round 1.

MG 4 EV

The MG 4 EV brings sharp and distinct looks to the table. Its tech-focused interior is comfortable, roomy and practical. That it goes like stink and sticks to the road through corners like a leech adds to its charm. Also, it’s rear-wheel driven, which stood out for us car enthusiasts in the judging panel.

It’s also priced attractively, and its value proposition clinched it the title of Best Cat B Hatchback EV in Round 1.

MAXUS MIFA 9

MAXUS, in its first overseas foray, has simply swooped in and swept up the win in the Best MPV EV category in Round 1 with the MIFA 9 Luxury. Now THAT’S a serious statement to make right there. Its price versus standard equipment and how well it performed on the road make this passenger paradise a stonking value proposition.

Volvo XC40 Recharge

The minimalists within us appreciated the clean aesthetic that the Volvo XC40 Recharge brings to the table. Add to that an interior that exudes functionality, practicality and eco-friendly material choices and a battery pack that offers very good real-world range and you have a very compelling package right here in the XC40 Recharge.

Not difficult to see, when combined with its price point why the XC40 Recharge won Best Cat B SUV EV in Round 1.

Opel Vivaro-e

We did say at the beginning that the Overall Best EV is chosen from the electric vehicles (EVs) that won in Round 1. That’s why we must not forget about the Opel Vivaro-e. It is an electric van. Its price, the offering of keyless start and stop, ease of driving and energy efficiency enabled it to clinch the win in the Best Commercial EV category.

So who won?

Nine EVs to choose from! This proved to be a massive headache for the judging panel indeed, but a good one. With the Battle Royale seeing numerous choke slams, body slams, figure-four leg locks and tombstone pile drivers delivered, there was only one left standing when the dust settled. No members of the judging panel were harmed in this process. Neither was any EV.

Where the points tally in Round 1 was the final determinant of each category’s winner, here in Round 2, points are taken into consideration but are not the final arbiter of victory.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Overall Best EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6

Of the line-up, the Hyundai IONIQ 6 is easily the most desirable EV of the lot. While it didn’t clinch the highest amount of points on the board, its price-to-performance ratio is spot on. Its looks may be polarising but it undoubtedly turns heads. It’s also very spacious on the inside, and one would not be the wiser that they’re in a Hyundai thanks to the dearth of Hyundai logos within.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points in Round 1 here.

Congratulations to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Price and powertrain don’t matter. From affordable to astronomical, internal combustion, hybrid and battery electric all make an appearance here. The Overall Best SUV is chosen from among a pool of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) that won in Round 1. Check out their respective Round 1 awards below.

Meet The Contenders

BYD Atto 3

The BYD Atto 3 won Best Cat A SUV EV because the judging panel was impressed with how efficient it is, and how it feels the more complete package as an EV SUV. Being roomy, spacious, comfortable, and tech-focused, it also has a clean exterior design that will appeal to many.

BMW X1 xDrive16i

The BMW X1 sDrive16i brings technological accoutrements and a loud paint colour to the table, but tempers that with practicality, ease of driving and a punchy engine and smooth gearbox. Plus no one can argue with the BMW brand cachet, which is why it won Best Cat A SUV in Round 1.

Audi SQ 7

The Audi SQ7 features a clean design language that offers so much practicality and pace at its price point. Despite competing in the luxury SUV segment, value-for-money matters, which is why the SQ7 decisively won the Best Luxury SUV award.

BMW XM

The BMW XM is the absolute most expensive vehicle in the ACOTY 2024 line-up. What won it the Best Premium Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid award in Round 1 is that the XM is a strong statement in the automotive industry with its ballsy go-big-or-go-home nature.

Hyundai Palisade

The Hyundai Palisade comes across as well-deserving of its palatial-sounding name. It is the most competent SUV on test in its segment, and the practicality and comfort it offers, combined with value-proposition is why the Palisade won Best Premium SUV.

Audi Q3

The Audi Q3 feels like the most grown-up and well-put-together SUV in its segment to the judging panel. Audi’s renowned build quality and solidity, along with a clean and premium design aesthetic feature here. With ample technology and an interior that will take five occupants without too much bother, its frugality and comfortable nature clinched it Best Category B SUV in Round 1.

Volvo XC40 Recharge

The Volvo XC40 Recharge won Best Cat B SUV EV due to its price and the upmarket experience one receives for the money. Its clean minimalist aesthetic, an interior that exudes functionality, practicality and eco-friendly material choices, and a battery pack that offers very good real-world range makes the XC40 Recharge a winner in our books.

Nissan X-trail e-Power

The Nissan X-Trail e-Power shines in its ability to be cost-friendly, extremely practical, and stylish, doing everything a typical Singaporean family would desire. All of this while putting a smile on your face and wallet. This is why it won the Best Cat B Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid award.

So who won?

Eight SUVs to choose from, with each that shines as a beacon of light in their own categories. This was no easy task for the judging panel. However, once all was said and done, there was the one.

Where the points tally in Round 1 was the final determinant of each category’s winner, here in Round 2, points are taken into consideration but are not the final arbiter of victory.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Overall Best SUV
Nissan X-trail e-Power

The Nissan X-Trail e-Power brings so much to the table at its price point. It is well-appointed, very comfortable and easy to drive, and that pretty much sealed the deal for the judging panel, who unanimously love this SUV anyway.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points in Round 1 here.

Congratulations to the Nissan X-Trail e-Power for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best SUV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Pretty simple, actually. Commercial electric vehicles needs to be registered on Goods plates, able to haul cargo and powered by the zappy-zappy lecky stuff born of electron vibrations.

Meet The Contenders

We drove three electric vans this year, which qualified them for this category. They are, clockwise from top left, the Opel Combo-e, Citroën e-Dispatch and Opel Vivaro-e.

The Opel Combo-e is the smaller of the three vans, while the Citroën e-Dispatch and Opel Vivaro-e are effectively the same vehicle from parent group Stellantis with different badges.

Choosing a winner was a very difficult task for the four of us, not in the least bit because all three are excellent electric vans. We liked the compactness of the Opel Combo-e while simultaneously appreciating the capaciousness of the Citroën e-Dispatch and Opel Vivaro-e.

We were amazed at how quiet cargo haulage on the roads and highways can be, courtesy of the electric drivetrain of each van. We were also impressed with the simplicity and ruggedness of each van, in a nod to just getting on with the task at hand.

In fact, our scores reflected this difficulty. Literally THREE points separated these three vans, showcasing how excellent they are. One isn’t bound to go wrong with any of them. Ultimately, there had to be a winner.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Commercial EV
Opel Vivaro-e

The winner is the Opel Vivaro-e with 315 points. What pipped it for the Opel Vivaro-e was its price as well as the offering of keyless start and stop. The Vivaro-e was also just slightly more energy-efficient.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Opel Vivaro-e, for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Best Commercial EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!