Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) has unveiled the winners of its 10 Best Cars for 2022 to 2023.
Hyundai Ioniq 5
The list of winners includes the Toyota Crown, Suzuki Alto, Nissan X-Trail, Nissan Fairlady Z, Mazda CX-60 e-SkyActiv D, Renault Arkana, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Nissan/Mitsubishi Sakura/eK Cross EV, Honda Civic e:HEV/Civic Type R, BMW iX, and Land Rover Range Rover.
Looking at the list, JCOTY produced a total of 11 winners. The reason is due to a tied vote but only one will take home the trophy in December. Another factor to notice on the list is that most entries come with a form of electrification – whether a hybrid or fully electrified powertrain.
BMW iX
The winners that use a hybrid setup include the Honda Civic e:HEV, Toyota Crown, Land Rover Range Rover, Renault Arkana, Mazda CX-60 e-SkyActiv, Nissan X-Trail with the e-Power series hybrid, and Suzuki Alto. Meanwhile, the fully electric team is joined by the Hyundai Ioniq 5, BMW iX, and Nissan/Mitsubishi Sakura/eK Cross EV.
Only the Nissan Fairlady Z is the non-hybrid car on the list. The renowned Japanese sports car is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine capable of delivering 400 horsepower and 475 Nm of torque. In Japan, the Z is available with a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Honda Civic e:HEV
The goal of JCOTY is to advance “Japan’s motorization and to inform consumers of the latest models and technologies.” With the aforementioned models, the award presenter can highlight the technologies that will power future cars considering the industry’s shift to electrification.
Last year, an EV won the Japan Car of the Year with the Nissan Note. It is powered by Nissan’s e-Power technology that powers the front wheels using an electric motor only. The reigning winner was followed by the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ and Honda Vezel/HR-V in second and third, respectively.
Don’t miss the latest car awards at Philkotse.com.