Motorist Car of the Year 2025 winners have won us over

Our Motorist Car of the Year (mCOTY) 2025 campaign has finished the glorious COTY race with these winning cars, plus the year's best vehicular technology and best car showroom concept.

All these 30 winners in our annual Motorist Car of the Year (mCOTY) competition for 2025 hereby deservingly collect their checkered flags as the respective category champions.

The mCOTY 2025 star cars crossed the finish line ahead of their class rivals, after convincing the Motorist reviewers who road-tested the worthy nominees and also charming the Motorist readers and Motorist super-app users who voted for their favourites. All of them qualifed as our respected co-drivers on the Singapore superhighway of automotive information and motoring enjoyment.

With 2025 being the 10th anniversary of Motorist, which started its engines in 2015, we included three special categories to celebrate a trio of milestone models which deserve our love and respect in the Singapore context. We also selected the year's best vehicular technology and best car showroom concept.

BYD Sealion 7

• Dynamically, one of the better Chinese EVs to drive.
• Interior quality is way up compared to some of BYD's earlier models.
• Interior space is plentiful and passengers will be well comfortable in here.
• Great value for money, whether it's the sensible Cat A trim or the all-out Performance spec.
• Lots of included features regardless of trim level.

BYD Seal 6 EV

• Refreshing to have a new sedan in a sea of SUVs.
• Excellent driving position.
• Feels up-to-date and modern.
• A rather good-looking car.
• Dynamically pretty well-sorted.

BYD Seal Premium

• The Goldilocks option in the BYD Seal range.
• Still one of the better-looking EVs on the market.
• Has all the gizmos and gadgets you could need.
• Lots of power to go with the tech.
• Rear-wheel drive gives a fun element to the driving experience.

JMEV ELIGHT

• One of the most affordable new cars on the market.
• Still sports both essential and good-to-have features like a 360° camera, a panoramic moonroof, and Rear Cross Traffic Assist.
• WLTP city range estimate of 600 kilometres on a full charge.
• Decent acceleration for a Cat A COE car.
• Michelin tyres offered as standard.

Dongfeng 007

• Looks like a million Singdollars but costs closer to a million yuan in Singapore, without COE.
• Goes like a confident Chinese space rocket, with plenty of cabin space.
• Designed to impress and also built to high quality standards.
• The driving experience provides a pleasant balance between easy comfort and speedy control.
• This car is engineered for safety, from the body to the battery.
• Its powerful performance parameters include the ability to wade through water up to 1 metre deep - no problem if it ever encounters "ponding" in Singapore.

Audi A3 sedan

• A lovely little car to drive around in, whether in town or on the highway.
• Excellent fuel economy.
• Well equipped with a well laid out interior.
• Build quality is up to par and the cabin feels premium.
• Feels like it has more grunt than the Cat A COE bracket it sits in would suggest.

Audi A5

• Pure combustion setup with no electrical assistance at all.
• The powertrain is creamy and smooth, with loads of grunt.
• Incredible stability when cruising at high speeds.
• Interior is well laid out and well equipped.
• Very comfortable for long-distance drives.

Aion V

• Very distinctive design with cool colours and true character.
• Very comfortable and practical interior with many thoughtful features.
• Very realistic range, plus really fast DC charging where available.
• Very sensible everyday electric driveability.
• Very versatile across urban, suburban and rural situations.

BYD Sealion 7 Premium

• Dynamically, one of the better Chinese EVs to drive.
• Interior quality is way up compared to some of BYD's earlier models.
• Interior space is plentiful and passengers will be well comfortable in here.
• Great value for money.

Audi Q6 e-tron quattro

• The build quality is up there with the best and gives the Q6 e-tron a real premium air.
• Updated interior is functional, aesthetic, and enhances the quality of life for both driver and passengers.
• Rapid acceleration despite its size, with a big battery providing big range to boot.
• The dynamic interaction light is a neat touch and gives it that modern feel.
• The Bang & Olufsen sound system is a treat.
• 270kW fast charging is useful for quickly juicing up the aforementioned large battery.

MINI Countryman C

• Excellent efficiency numbers.
• Opens the MINI lifestyle up to a wider audience.
• Round infotainment display is slick and high-definition.
• Fabrics used in the interior are pretty cool and unique.

Hyundai Santa Fe

• It appears to be an Asian-American reDiscovery designed by talented LEGO enthusiasts with soju in their system.
• Interior is really spacious and truly multi-purpose, from the first row to the third row and throughout the trunk.
• Amenities aplenty, which make the Santa Fe feel like a Santa Claus that keeps on giving to everybody on board.
• The 1.6-litre engine is willing to work hard as a turbo unit to save travel time and also work smart as a petrol-electric hybrid to save some fuel.
• Dashboard has numerous user-friendly features to make driving safer, daily life easier, rush hour less stressful and road trips more joyful.
• All the seats have a multitude of convenient adjustments for accessibility and flexibility, ready for any and every transport task.

BYD Sealion 6 DM-i

• BYD finally has a hybrid, opening up a world of flexibility for owners.
• Very comfortable drive.
• Very spacious interior and generous cargo capacity.
• Better brake feel than in some other PHEVs.
• Ventilated seats and a premium sound system still come as standard.
• Competitive pricing in the PHEV segment.

DENZA D9

• The value of this car makes it a real disruptor to the towkay-class of cars.
• Large 103.36 kWh battery gives it suitably large range.
• Nappa leather is used generously in the interior.
• The zero-gravity seats in the second row are as every bit as comfy as they sound.
• Physical buttons on the centre console and steering wheel are a welcome addition.
• It has a fridge that can cool or heat items from -6°C to 50°C.

BYD M6

• No-nonsense, value-for money.
• Cat A COE positioning gives it a big target audience.
• Improves upon the older e6 in every metric: better looks, better efficiency, better equipment, more power, faster charging, and two more seats.
• Instant electric torque gives this people-mover enough zippiness to move the people.
• Dedicated air-con vents for the second and third rows.

Dongfeng Box

• Super cute and eye-catching, especially in adorable purple.
• A lot of Chinese electric supermini for not a lot of Singaporean money, apart from COE.
• More cabin space than expected, considering the compact exterior.
• The interior is a cheerful medley of colours and materials, with premium touches.
• Sensible electrical setup with enough energy for city driving and adequate real-world range.
• Surprising premium features include intelligent cruise control and helpful auto parking.

MG4

• 50-50 weight distribution and rear-wheel drive actually make the MG4 rather fun to drive.
• A sharp-looking car.
• Clean and functional interior.
• Sufficient room in the back for taller passengers.

BYD ATTO 2

• A step up from BYD in the compact SUV segment.
• Still features all of the tech found in its bigger BYD siblings.
• Competitive price point.
• Decent looks and interior feel.
• One of the quicker Cat A COE cars around.

Jaecoo J6

• J6 has a real funky vibe to it that distinguishes it from other cars.
• Drives pretty well and has a good bit of poke from the dual-motor all-wheel drive setup.
• Decently polished interior with a slick user interface.

BYD ATTO 3

• Has everything you need, without missing out on anything you want.
• 10-year battery warranty and 10-year free servicing are great at putting your mind at ease about EV ownership.
• Still features the full suite of driver assistance and safety systems, including adaptive cruise control.
• 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating.
• Cat A-friendly, but still torquey enough to zip around in Singapore traffic.
• Decent 420 kilometres of range.

MG MGS5

• Soft-spoken but capable, it gets the job done with its head down.
• A rear-wheel drive setup is uncommon but nice to see in a car at this price point.
• Decent driving dynamics.
• Doesn't sacrifice creature comforts or modern luxuries for the sake of affordability.

IM Motors IM6

• Chock full of tech features straight from the future.
• All-wheel steering included as standard on all trim levels.
• The Performance spec is probably the most affordable way to get nearly 800hp.
• Sound system is one of the best in the business.
• Large range and super-fast DC charging capability.

Jaecoo J7

• Incredible range figures with up to 1,427 km/L on a full tank and a full charge, as tested by our very own writer.
• Comfortable and spacious interior with space to spare for passengers and cargo alike.
• Decently good looks on the exterior and a relatively plush interior.
• Ventilated seats and a host of other features come included as standard.
• Very competitively priced for how capable it is.

Xpeng G6

• Looks even more futuristic-fantastic with Xpeng’s “G6.5” professional facelift.
• High-“Performance” powertrain turns the G6 into a “Glee 6” super SUV, especially in a straight line, yet it remains easily controllable and fully comfortable.
• Sensible changes to the cabin make it even nicer and more relaxing for everybody on board, including pets, caraoke fans, and folks who appreciate a good in-car massage.
• Enough headroom and more than enough legroom for adult passengers in the rear despite the swoopy coupe-ish roofline.
• Well-sized boot and well-placed storage compartments provide the everyday utility expected of a mid-size SUV.
• The Xpilot automatic parking is arguably one of the best in the business so far.

Zeekr 7X

• Exceptional build quality with a really premium look and feel to the whole car.
• Ludicrously (and frankly, unnecessarily) fast in AWD Performance spec, though more reasonable options are available.
• The native Zeekr hi-fi system is one of the best in the business, speaking as someone who loves his aural pleasure.

BYD Sealion 6 DM-i tech

• Seamless transition between electric and petrol power.
• Gives you the best of both worlds for efficiency and performance.
• Sparks hope that combustion has a place in the future of motoring.
• A plug-in hybrid system allays any concerns about range anxiety.
• Offers you way more flexibility than a pure electric vehicle.

Audi House of Progress Singapore

• The new downtown brand home of Audi at 18 Cross Street is built around four key pillars - performance, lifestyle, sports, dining.
• Singapore is the first Audi market in the world with a direct-to-consumer business model.
• Everything comes together nicely at 18 Cross Street to make the Audi customer journey complete and fantastic.
• Your personal motoring advancement through technology goes even further than the high-tech Audi cars you can try, buy, aspire towards, or dream about in Audi House of Progress Singapore.

Suzuki Swift

• Two modern generations of Suzuki’s signature model set a proven formula for “basic-fantastic” in the humble supermini segment.
• The current generation is a likeable 1.2-litre 3-cylinder mild hybrid with a certain get-up-and-go (plus a job in GetGo) that belies its size and specs.
• Today’s Swift is possibly one of the swiftest cars around in terms of the driver figuring out the controls, parking promptly, and making tight U-turns.
• Affordability in the compact-hatchback context has been warped out of shape in recent years by prevailing Cat A COE prices and pro-EV rebates, but a new Suzuki Swift is still relatively affordable if you have a trade-in and do your sums.
• The previous-generation Swift was delightfully cheap and good when COEs were much cheaper and more plentiful than in the post-Covid era, especially the earlier 1-litre Boosterjet turbo version.
• Every Suzuki Swift which hit the road since 2015 has been a surprisingly satisfying runabout for anyone on a budget - from young men to young seniors, rookie drivers to old hands, new families to empty nesters; and regardless of gender.
• Idiot-proof, fuel-efficient and mechanically robust, with no fancy features which might be less than reliable.
• The Swift Sport (current ZC33S or defunct ZC32S) continues to be a champion motor among petrolheads getting high on fun despite being low on funds.

Volkswagen Golf GTI

• The present Mk 8/8.5 and recent Mk 7/7.5 editions of VW Golf GTI are still the pocket-rocket benchmarks for most petrolheads, even those who might be driven to distraction by a variety of speedy rivals.
• The need for speed is never a singular pursuit for the archetypal go-faster Golf, which prefers to achieve a multi-talented combination of performance, practicality, control and comfort, with a touch of fireworks whenever requested.
• There are other turbo hatches which are faster/sportier/naughtier, but none is quite as complete as the do-it-all Golf GTI for one and all.
• Punitive vehicle taxes, expensive COEs and necessary dealer margins detract from the VW’s bang for the buck, which is probably as good as ever out of the factory and onto the ro-ro.
• It looks the business, with the classic GTI styling philosophy of “red flashes in the right places” boosted by a latter-day Gran Turismo Injection of distinctive design flair.
• Current Mk 8.5 GTI cockpit plays a professional game of German excellence with the amenities, sport seats and GTI-style niceties.
• Volkswagen’s “OG50” is the original hero of Euro hot-hatchness, which has been progressively and proudly updated/upgraded since 1976 across eight model generations to keep “GTI” flying high.
• The definitive pocket rocket powers into 2026 with more of the same fantastic formula (Golf GTI Edition 50 anniversary model), along with something different - the electric ID. Polo GTI.

Toyota Prius

• Toyota’s most famous hybrid sits tight in the petrol-electric sweet spot between combustion-engine cars and fully-electric vehicles.
• Prius elevates fuel-saving to an automotive art form and enables it with time-tested technologies.
• Every Hybrid Synergy Drive system put on the road by Toyota and Lexus can trace its lineage to prior Priuses.
• The change from yesterday’s 4th-generation model to today’s 5th-generation model has greatly increased the design flair while staying true to the essentials of greener motoring.
• Prius has a popular appeal, from local cabbies and private-hire drivers who swear by it, to Japanese families in their home country.
• Exterior is dramatic enough to look like a space-age prototype from a major motor show, yet it has a spacious boot and all.
• Interior is logical, comfortable, practical and perfectly air-conditioned, with an interesting dashboard that suits the car’s futuristic outlook.
• Prius might not be saving the planet, but it is certainly saving fuel worldwide and reducing transport-sector carbon emissions globally.

The Motorist Car of the Year 2025 campaign is fuelled by Esso and co-sponsored by Trapo. 

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