00:00The night sparkled with excitement and camaraderie as automotive industry leaders gathered to
00:06celebrate excellence at the Starcar Sifu Editors' Choice Awards 2024.
00:12To reflect the changing local automotive landscape, new Top 3 awards replaced the previous Apex
00:18categories of Local Car of the Year, Asian Car of the Year, and Continental Car of the
00:23Year.
00:24At the heart of the celebration, Great Wall Motor, Proton and Kia emerged as the big winners,
00:30sweeping the Top 3 prestigious awards of Hybrid of the Year, Internal Combustion Engine, ICE,
00:37Car of the Year, and Electric Car of the Year, respectively.
00:44The Kia EV9 raced to the front as Electric Car of the Year.
00:49I think it's a pleasant surprise, really appreciate the Kasi Fu for organizing this
00:54and giving us such a wonderful time here and recognition of EV9 itself is very meaningful
01:02for us to continue with our EV change in the country.
01:08The Proton S70 Flagship X also showed exceptional promise to become the Internal Combustion
01:13Engine Car of the Year.
01:16This award, not just to me, this is the winning of all the Proton team, particularly the Proton
01:24project team for the S70 made awarded by Kasi Fu for the Best ICE Car.
01:33Great Wall Motor Malaysia Managing Director Mike Kui says he's thankful to Kasi Fu that
01:38the GWM Havel H6 grabbed the Hybrid of the Year award.
01:42Even our Havel H6 Hybrid, today we got this award, we are so happy because this is our
01:54production accepted by the Malaysian customer.
02:02Other awards included Best Hatchback, Best Midsize Sedan, Best Business Sedan, Best Midsize
02:08SUV, Best Value AWD 4x4 SUV and Best Pickup Truck to name a few.
02:15The awards are to honor outstanding cars for advancements and innovations in areas such
02:20as design, features and green technology.
02:23SMG Group Chief Executive Officer Chan Seng Phet said Starcar Sifu has evolved over the
02:29past nine years into a trusted automotive source of information for enthusiasts, offering
02:35expert insights into AI advancements and green technologies.
02:39The automotive industry is undergoing a profound transformation.
02:44What was once divided by speed and power is now shaped by sustainability, efficiency and
02:55agility.
02:56This year, we have raised the bar by introducing newly revamped award categories that reflect
03:04this evolving dynamics, namely Internal Compression Engine Car of the Year, Hybrid Car of the
03:12Year, Electric Car of the Year.
03:15These categories represent more than just innovation, they are a testament to the industry's
03:22shift towards a greener and more inclusive future.
03:28Transport Minister Anthony Look commended SMG for highlighting vehicles that have made
03:32a significant impact on the market through the Auto Awards over the past nine years.
03:38He was represented by Transport Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Jannah Santiran Munyayan.
03:44What is particularly inspiring is that we are seeing more and more Malaysians adopting
03:50EVs and iBricks.
03:52Malaysians have seen a 112% rise in EV sales in the first half of 2024, demonstrating our
04:01commitment to a sustainable mobility solution.
04:04I'm sure in the year 2025, it will be much, much better than the year 2024.
04:10The awards were opened to cars launched locally from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.
04:18A total of 54 vehicles were shortlisted for 30 categories.
04:23The nominees also include those powered by petrol or diesel, as well as hybrids and electric
04:28vehicles.
04:30Winners are judged in areas such as safety, performance, comfort, handling, styling, value
04:37for money proposition, as well as their individual WOW factor.
04:42Judging was conducted by StarCarsifu's editorial team.
04:46For the full list of categories and winners, log on to carsifu.my.
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