The NST MasterCard Car of the Year Award 2005
DaimlerChrysler emerge top winner with its Mercedes Benz CLS 350 model. To crown a memorable night for DaimlerChrysler, it’s President and CEO Datuk Frank Steinleitner was named ‘Automotive Man of the Year’ in recognition of his contributions to the industry.
The winners of the 2005 Awards were announced at a gala dinner hosted by NST and MasterCard International.
THE New Straits Times/MasterCard “Car of the Year Awards” (COTY) was first held in 2002. The COTY was established not just to recognize the efforts of all car manufacturers, but also to guide those car buyers who may want a second opinion.
Thirteen categories of cars were evaluated. While the number of categories is the same, the first two categories have been renamed Super Minis (called “compact” last year) and Small Cars (“sub compact” last year).
The winners for 2005 for the respective categories are as follows:
1) Superminis – Winner: Citroen C2
2) Small Cars – Winner: Suzuki Swift 1.5
3) Family Cars – Winner: New Honda City
4) Premium Family Cars – Winner: Volvo V50 T5
5) Executive Cars – Winner: Audi A4 Turbo FSI
6) Premium Executive Cars – Winner: Mercedes Benz CLS 350
7) Limousines – Winner: BMW 740Li
8) Performance Cars – Winner: Porsche 997
9) Midi MPV’s – Winner: Renault Grand Scenic
10) MPV’s – Winner: Honda Odyssey
11) SUV’s – Winner: Ssangyong Rexton 270 XDi
12) Premium SUV’s – Winner: Volvo XC90
13) Twincab Pick-up Trucks – Winner: Toyota Hilux
For the Car of the Year Awards, the basic criteria for nomination is that each car must be a brand new model or a significantly revised upgrade of an existing model. Last year’s winners are automatically included in the shortlist as defending champion. The other criteria includes:
a) Style: exterior design
b) Cabin: interior design
c) Passenger comfort and driver ergonomics
d) Performance
e) Driving characteristics
f) Safety (active & passive)
g) Perceived quality
h) Value for money
i) Off road capability (for 4×4’s and SUV’s only)
The vehicle with the highest score within a given category would be awarded the
‘Best Car in Class’ in that category, while the highest scoring vehicle overall, regardless of category, wins the coveted Overall Car of the Year 2005 Award.
Last year’s defending champion and 2004 Car of the Year was the BMW 530d. It returns in 2005 to defend its crown within its category. All winners of the ‘Best Car in Class’ award from the previous year return to defend their titles this year.
About 60 new models and variants have been launched since the beginning of the year, with a few more yet to come, and the sheer number will present a tough task for the six motoring editors and journalists on the panel of judges.
MasterCard International, the world’s leading advanced payments company, has been title sponsor of this prestigious event for the last three years. In addition to the “Car of the Year Award”, recognition is also given to an outstanding captain of the automotive industry and he is awarded the “Automotive Man of the Year”.
The judges for the COTY awards comprises of motoring journalists, who have demonstrated over the years to have not only an extended knowledge of the motoring scene, but who have also garnered the trust and respect of their peers and leaders of the motoring industry to provide a factual, concise and fair account of any vehicle they are given to evaluate for their respective publications. The organizing chairman of the COTY is the Group Editor in-Chief, NSTP
The judges for this year’s COTY include:
o Yamin Vong, editor of NST Cars, Bikes & Trucks (Chairman of panel of judges)
o Chris Wee, automotive specialist writer, NST CBT
o Hezeri Samsuri, motoring journalist, NST CBT
o Daniel Fernandez, editor Asian Auto Magazine
o Faisal Shah, editor Torque Magazine
o Sharif editor, Mail Motor, The Malay Mail
