KUALA LUMPUR: The night sparkled with excitement and camaraderie as automotive industry leaders gathered to celebrate excellence at the StarCarSifu Editors' Choice Awards 2024.
At the heart of the celebration, Great Wall Motor (GWM), Proton and Kia emerged as the big winners, sweeping the top three prestigious awards of Hybrid of the Year, Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Car of the Year and Electric Car of the Year respectively.
To reflect the changing local automotive landscape, the new top three awards replaces the previous apex categories of Local Car of the Year, Asian Car of the Year and Continental Car of the Year.
The GWM Haval H6 grabbed the Hybrid of the Year award, the Proton S70 Flagship X showed exceptional promise to become the Internal Combustion Engine or (ICE) Car of the Year while the Kia EV9 raced to the front as Electric Car of the Year.
Winners rounding off a memorable night. With them are Chan (front row, second from left), Jana (waving), Wang (seventh from left) and Ng (right).
Other awards included Best Hatchback, Best Mid-size Sedan, Best Business Sedan, Best Mid-size SUV, Best Value AWD/4X4 SUV and Best Pick-up Truck to name a few.
The awards are to honour outstanding cars for advancements and innovations in areas such as design, features and green technology.
GWM Malaysia managing director Mike Cui (second from left) receiving the award from Jana. With them are Wang (left) and Chan.
The awards were opened to cars launched locally from Oct 1, 2023 to Sept 30, 2024.
A total of 54 vehicles were shortlisted for 30 categories.
Shortlisted cars were from 28 brands such as Audi, BMW, BYD, Chery, Ford, GAC, GWM, Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Jaecoo, Kia, Lexus, Maxus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MG, MINI, Peugeot, Porsche, Proton, smart, Suzuki, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, Volvo and Xpeng.
The nominees also include those powered by petrol or diesel as well as hybrids and electric vehicles.
Cars are judged in areas such as safety, performance, comfort, handling, styling, value-for-money proposition as well as their individual “wow” factor.
Judging was conducted by StarCarSifu's editorial team.
Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah receiving the award from Jana. With them are Wang (left) and Chan.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who was the guest of honour, commended the Star Media Group (SMG) for highlighting vehicles that have made a significant impact on the market through the auto awards over the past nine years.
His speech was read out by Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Jana Santhiran Muniayan.
Loke said the 6.6% Total Industry Volume (TIV) growth in the first half of 2024 to 390,296 units was a testament to the auto industry's adaptability and the robust demand in the domestic market.
He pointed out the 112% rise in electric vehicle (EV) sales, which he said was in line with the government’s goal for EVs and hybrids to make up 20% of new car sales by 2030, as the country advances towards sustainable mobility.
Collaboration between the government, industry players, and consumers is key to advancing EV initiatives and overcoming challenges, he added.
SMG group chief executive officer Chan Seng Fatt said StarCarSifu has evolved over the past nine years into a trusted automotive source of information for enthusiasts, offering expert insights into AI advancements and green technologies.
Dinamikjaya Motors managing director Datuk Wong Kin Foo receiving the award from Jana. With them are Wang (left) and Chan.
The platform’s growth, fuelled by support from industry partners, is recognised for inspiring and connecting people while providing valuable information and analysis to help drive the industry forward, he said.
Chan also noted that 25% of Malaysians are now interested in owning an EV, driven by factors such as rising fuel prices and growing environmental awareness.
He said StarCarSifu has a role to play in sustainable mobility.
"Through StarCarSifu, we continue to highlight the latest advancements in electric and hybrid vehicles, while also promoting responsible practices across the industry."
The venue for the awards night is just a stone's throw away from Star Media Group's headquarters as seen in the background.
StarCarSifu Editors' Choice Awards 2024 was held at M Resort Kuala Lumpur.
The awards were first held in 2016 and became an annual event in 2017, 2018 and 2019. It took a break in 2020 and 2021 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
The awards resumed in 2022 and was last held in 2023.
Other VIPs who attended the event were Transport Ministry Land Division undersecretary Datuk Mohamed Irwan Mansor, Malaysian Automotive Association president Mohd Shamsor Mohd Zain, Malaysian Advertisers Association president Claudian Navin Stanislaus, Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute deputy CEO Nizmar Mohd Nazar, SMG chief business officer Lydia Wang and SMG chief content officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng.
