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 sedan 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). Done.

Meet The Contenders

Clockwise, from top left, firstly representing China is the BYD Seal Performance. Next, flying the South Korean flag is the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh. Finally, championing USA is the Tesla Model 3 Highland.

The BYD Seal’s sharp, muscular looks turns heads wherever it goes. People stop and point, and this speaks volumes to BYD’s design language. Lots of tech features on the inside, along with creature comforts. And its performance can snap your neck and make your passengers scream with glee.

No prizes for guessing which one of us still refers to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 as “my Korean Saab.” Insert lots of lovey-dovey emojis before and after.

Love or hate it, it’s got a very unique look that turns snaps heads as it glides silently by. Add to that a technology-infused interior, sufficient passenger space, decent ride comfort and fast charging, and you’ve got yourself a very unique Cat B Sedan EV here.

The Tesla Model 3 is readily recognised on the roads. With an ultra-minimalist theme both inside and out, tech up the wazoo, uniquely-Tesla quirks and stable yet playful characteristics, the Model 3 has every right to be in this competition.

Exciting, innit?

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B Sedan EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh

The win goes to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh with 429 points. In the Cat B sedan EV segment, the IONIQ 6 feels like the most well-rounded and complete package.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 Prestige 77kWh for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat B Sedan 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?

We’re reserving this class specifically for coupes and cabriolets, but, they need to sit mid-table in the market price-wise.

They also need invoke feelings of excitement and anticipation by the way the look and the way they drive.

Meet The Contenders

Of the three, two are German and one represents Italy. They are the Porsche Cayman GTS (top left), Mercedes-AMG SL 43 (top right) and Maserati GranTurismo.

With a zing from the engine and a wide grin on your face, the Porsche Cayman GTS goes like the clappers. Beautifully balanced on its wheels, with a wonderfully sporty seating position within and point-and-squirt character, the Cayman GTS will enthral you as you chase its 7,800rpm redline.

The Mercedes-AMG SL 43 has a different take on the premium sports car formula. Its a drop-top grand tourer with plenty of punch, all rolled up into one exquisite package. You’ll be cosseted in the lap of upmarket materials and features while conquering the 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.5 seconds.

If a larger, more practical coupe is your thing, look no further than the Maserati GranTourismo. Drop-dead gorgeous Italian styling combines with a tech-upgraded interior which can comfortably house four adults.

With a boot that’s large enough for a golf bag and other items, and a sonorous V6 engine that matches this grand tourer’s handling abilities, this is one seriously alluring package that definitely walks the talk.

Three mouth-wateringly delicious choices, but only one can be crowned champion.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Premium Sports Car
Maserati GranTurismo

The winner with 368 points is the Maserati GranTurismo. The way it combines practicality with premium sports car looks and abilities puts it right on top.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Maserati GranTurismo for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Premium Sports Car!

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?

The Overall Best Sports Car is chosen from the three Cat B performance and sports categories’ winners from Round 1. Check out their respective Round 1 awards below.

Meet The Contenders

BMW M3 Touring

The BMW M3 Touring won Best Performance Wagon due to how practical it is while being mental in a straight line and through corners. Its steroid-fuelled body sure looks the part, and has all the go-fast gubbins underneath and within to put a wide smile on enthusiasts’ faces.

BMW M2

The BMW M2 won Best Sports Car in Round 1 because it offers the necessary pace of a sports car along with pure rear-wheel driven handling characteristics and actually represents good value for its asking price. Plus there’s the special experience that comes with M-cars, and one can see why this is endearing.

Porsche 911 Carrera

Base is not just base with the Porsche 911 Carrera. It won Best Luxury Sports Car because it represents great value for money for what it is and can do. With ferocious performance off the line and leech-like characteristics in the corners, it’s not difficult to see why all members of the judging panel voted unanimously for it.

So who won?

All three excellent contenders have their own strengths. However, this is a competition and when all said and done, there can only be 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 Sports Car
Porsche 911 Carrera

The Porsche 911 Carrera won by virtue of its decades-old winning formula that’s been constantly refined. Plus it is the quintessential sports car benchmark that other manufacturers look at.

Moreover, once one is done with performance cars like the M2 and M3 Touring, where does one naturally progress to from there? The Porsche 911 Carrera of course!

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

Congratulations to the Porsche 911 Carrera for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best Sports Car!

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

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

The Overall Best Luxury Vehicle is chosen from the three Cat B luxury categories’ winners from Round 1. Check out their respective Round 1 awards below.

Meet The Contenders

Audi SQ 7

There’s a famous scene in The Godfather movie in which Marlon Brando, playing Don Corleone, says, “I’m gonna make him a deal he can’t refuse.” The Audi SQ 7 epitomises this line. It brings space, pace and practicality to the luxury car segment at a stonking price point. This is why it won Best Luxury SUV.

BMW XM

The BMW XM, despite being the absolute most expensive vehicle in the ACOTY line-up, won the Best Premium Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid Category in Round 1 because BMW’s M-division dares to do things differently. Being the first standalone model since the M1, the XM is a strong statement in the automotive industry, and its ballsy go-big-or-go-home nature is why it won.

BMW i7 xDrive60

Despite the BMW i7 xDrive 60 being so expensive, it also offers so much for the price. Regardless of its arguably polarizing looks, the Bavarian manufacturer must be applauded for daring to break with tradition and create something that snaps heads and looks like nothing else on the road. That’s why it clinched the win in the Best Luxury EV category in Round 1.

Moreover, the four of us in the judging panel agree that the i7 is objectively the better 7 Series when compared to its internal-combustion 735i sibling.

So who won?

Three brilliant luxury vehicles, but only one can win this category.

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 Luxury Car
Audi SQ 7

The Audi SQ 7 won due to the value proposition it brings to this line-up, which cannot be overlooked. Plus, its muted aggressive looks and turn of speed means the SQ 7 would be a luxury vehicle that a modern-day Godfather would be proud to ride in.

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

Congratulations to the Audi SQ 7 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best Luxury Car!

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

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

The Overall Best Hybrid Vehicle is chosen from among the winners of the Cat A Hybrid, Cat B Hybrid and Premium Hybrid categories in Round 1.

Meet The Contenders

Kia Niro Hybrid

The Kia Niro Hybrid has sharp, unique looks, an angular, tech-infused cabin and spacious practicality in its favour. How comfy it is and how little fuel it sips means you’ll be wafting around while keeping your wallet firmly in your pocket for longer.

Nissan X-Trail e-Power

The Nissan X-Trail e-Power is refined, stylish, and in this era of historically high COEs, well-equipped enough to offer its owner a premium-feeling experience for a car that relatively speaking is positioned as a mass market model. Plus it has one of the judges’ Mom’s glowing seal of approval.

BMW XM

The BMW XM balances ride comfort and eye-watering performance off the line very well. It’s also nimble in carparks and offers an opulent tech-focused interior for its elite occupants.

So who won?

Three really great award-winners where one will not go wrong with any of them. However, there could only be 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 Hybrid Vehicle
Kia Niro Hybrid

The Kia Niro Hybrid won because, just like it did in Round 1, it offers the best value proposition of the trio. Despite scoring the lowest points of the three in Round 1, by being priced the way it is and yet still remaining practical and frugal, we believe that it represents the better offering to car buyers out there.

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

Congratulations to the Kia Niro Hybrid for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best Hybrid Vehicle!

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

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Ideally, vehicles need to sit at or above the 50th price percentile to be considered ‘premium’. They must also not have appeared in other Round 1 categories as contenders. Finally, those that qualify for this category need to be sold with Category B COEs. Quite simple.

Meet The Contenders

They’re all German. Jawohl, jawohl. Clockwise from top left, the BMW 330i Touring and 318i from Bavaria are in contention. And from Wolfsburg, we have the Volkswagen Arteon.

With the BMW 330i Touring, practicality takes a big step up. With enough space to carry five people and their luggage, this is arguably the perfect premium vehicle for trips up north if one doesn’t want to get into an SUV.

There’s the obligatory BMW-levels of tech in here, and the way the 330i Touring drives and handles is why people buy BMWs in the first place.

That’s not to say that its sedan sibling BMW 318i isn’t practical; just not as practical. But, different strokes for different folks. The human space in the cabin is the same. The tech is similar.

Being a sedan, the 318i is a bit lighter, and more affordable as an entry point to premium BMW ownership. It rides and handles well, and that is why people buy BMWs in the first place. Yes, it needs to be said again.

The Volkswagen Arteon has sleek, sharp looks going for it. The outside and inside feel premium for the most part, and the Arteon drives easily, rides comfortably and handles very well.

If you want to look stylish during your daily commute, it’s very hard to argue against the Arteon.

Three excellent choices, but one has to be chosen.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B Premium Vehicle
BMW 330i Touring

The resounding win goes to the BMW 330i Touring with 398 points. All four of us love this car and the points speak to that.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the BMW 330i Touring for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Best Cat B Premium Vehicle!

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

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Sports cars that qualify for this category need to be priced at or above the 90th price percentile. Pretty simple.

Meet The Contenders

Three luxury sports cars were reviewed this year, all yellow in colour, all from Germany.

Clockwise from the top left, we have the Mercedes-AMG SL 55 4MATIC+ from Affalterbach, the Audi R8 Performance RWD from Ingolstadt, and the Porsche 911 Carrera from Stuttgart.

The most expensive of the trio, sitting in the 99th price percentile and costing over a million dollars with COE, is the Mercedes-Benz SL 55. This puts it just one rung below the most expensive vehicle in the ACOTY line-up, the BMW XM.

If you want luxury, you got it! We like how the SL 55 can cruise AND bruise depending upon one’s mood. We appreciate being able to drop the top in nice weather and look stylish without being over the top. The interior is well-appointed and with the top down, one just wants to keep prodding the throttle to hear that V8 burble again and again.

The next contender gives us some sadness, as it represents the end of an era of naturally aspirated howling V10 engines. This Audi R8 eschews the famed Quattro all-wheel drive system for a purer rear-wheel drive setup. Its 5.2-litre V10 may be detuned to 562hp, but wring it out to its redline and it WILL give you a fizz in your happy place.

The interior is minimalist and driver-focused, and the way it goes around corners and bangs through its gears makes this R8 a fitting swansong indeed.

In the Porsche 911 Carrera article, I wrote “Base is not JUST base.” One would be mistaken to scoff at this ‘entry-level’ 911 for it can put in a shocking turn of speed from a dig and rip through corners with alacrity. Porsche has been tweaking the 911 formula over decades, and it shows.

While the interior may come across as plain to some, there’s little here that one would be left wanting for. Given how easy ingress and egress are, it is no wonder then that the 911 remains the quintessential everyday sports car benchmark to this day.

Although there was only one winner, this trio of luxury sports cars truly represent how far we have come in the motoring world.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Luxury Sports Car
Porsche 911 Carrera

The winner with a resounding 406 points is the Porsche 911 Carrera. It represents great value for money for what it is and can do. When the scores were tallied, we were pleasantly surprised to find that the four of us in the judging panel voted unanimously for the 911, even though voting was conducted remotely and discreetly.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Porsche 911 Carrera for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Best Luxury Sports Car!

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