AutoIndustriya Editors’ Picks and Car of the Year 2024
Which vehicles were the standout performers of 2024?
2024 is nothing short of a year full of brand launches, new model introductions, and major motor shows that made up such an interesting year for the automotive industry.
With a legislation extending the full exemption of import duties to hybrids, the auto industry went full swing in terms of electrification. As a result, the market has been flooded with a lot of new and exciting vehicles, offering the full range of electrification whether it’s hybrids, PHEVs, range-extended EVs, and full-on battery electric vehicles in a wide range of price points.
That means buyers are spoiled with a lot of choices when it comes to their needs. But for us here at Autoindustriya.com, it makes for a more exciting, and a more challenging task in awarding winners for this year’s Editors’ Picks and selecting our Car of the Year 2024.
As with our previous editions, the candidates and winners for Editors’ Picks and Car of the Year include vehicles launched in the country in 2024, and the cars should have been driven and/or reviewed by the editorial team of Autoindustriya.com.
As Your First Car (formerly PHP 999K)
Nowadays, car ownership is made much more attainable with flexible financing terms from manufacturers and also from banking institutions. Not only that, the market is filled with a lot of great vehicles that would fit the bill for those who are looking to buy their first car. As such, for this year we’ve decided to change up our Best Value awards from previous editions of our Editors’ Picks to simply call it the “As Your First Car” award.
We tried to take a look at cars that we think had the most well-rounded package at a particular price point, and these vehicles have definitely hit the right notes in their segments.
As Your First Car Winner: Kia Sonet
Finalists: MG One, Dongfeng Nanobox, BYD Seagull, Geely Coolray
The cheapest in this category is the Dongfeng Nanobox. At just a little over PHP 700K, you can have yourself a proper five-door EV for the city with a decent range and a fun character. But for those who want something a bit more, there’s the BYD Seagull which has better range than the Nanobox and comes packed with more in-car features for a car that costs under PHP 900K.
The Geely Coolray returns to our Editors’ Picks, as the new four-cylinder turbo and new interior features supplement the key strengths of the crossover while keeping its great value for money. The MG One, on the other hand, is a great improvement over the ZS and the HS in all aspects. It’s bigger and more refined, but somehow the number of MG Ones on the road tells us that MG Philippines does not quite give the push that it needs.
With that said, our winner in the “As Your First Car” category is the Kia Sonet. At just a little over PHP 1.1 million, the Sonet definitely hit the right notes when it comes to delivering the right amount of features, decent driving dynamics, a fuel-efficient engine under the hood, but more importantly, it comes from a brand that has already established itself in the country.
For the Family
Filipinos love to bring along everyone for a road trip, which is why family vehicles are so popular in the country. From compact MPVs to pick-up passenger vehicles (PPVs) and even minivans, you can be sure that the heavy hitters in the market have one in store.
For The Family Winner: GAC M8
Finalists: Hyundai Custin, Kia Carnival
For this year’s “For The Family” award, however, we chose vehicles that were not just ideal for families, but also for executive transport with luxurious amenities and offer no compromise when it comes to delivering comfort for its occupants.
The minivans that made our list include the Hyundai Custin and the Kia Carnival. At just over PHP 2 million for the top-spec variant, the Custin does not disappoint with its captain seats and lots of power features, but we think its 1.5-liter turbo engine needs a bit of work to carry the minivan’s weight. On the other hand, the Carnival’s 2.2-liter turbodiesel does the job, while the bigger body means there’s plenty of lateral space for both the kids and the elderly to enjoy. Unfortunately, we have yet to test the gas hybrid version, so we’ll reserve our thoughts for that variant.
When it comes to giving no compromise whatsoever in delivering comfort and luxury for the family, our winner is the GAC M8. The minivan won us over with its plush ride, while the 2.0-liter turbo is smooth while giving decent pulling power for the road trip. But ultimately, it’s the only one on our list that offers relaxation seats with a massage function. Those factors combined are the reason why we think the GAC M8 is the winner of our For The Family award... and it's great for the executive too.
Electrified Drive
In our 2023 edition of Editors’ Picks, we divided the Electrified Drive into two categories. But considering how many electrified models entered the market in 2024, this meant we had to divide them further into three – one for hybrid, one for BEV, and another for the premium segment.
Electrified Drive – Hybrid Winner: BYD Sealion 6
Finalists: Honda Civic e:HEV, Toyota Corolla Cross HEV
We begin our Electrified Drive award in the hybrid category. These include HEVs, PHEVs, REEVs, or essentially electrified vehicles that have both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine and are outstanding in terms of delivering the performance and efficiency you want out of a hybrid.
Our finalists include the Honda Civic e:HEV and the Toyota Corolla Cross HEV. The former is the second e:HEV model for Honda in the country and has really stepped up the characteristics we expect out of a Civic – fun to drive with its great handling and powerful engine, but the pricing is not for everyone.
The Corolla Cross, on the other hand, brought down the price for those who want a TNGA-platformed hybrid to the PHP 1.5 million peso range. While from a value standpoint, it looks good, we were wishing for a bit more performance or an update on its hybrid system, most especially its use of Ni-MH batteries instead of lithium-ion.
For our winner of Electrified Drive, the BYD Sealion 6 impressed us with how the DM-I system performed in the local setting. The electric range is enough for everyday city driving, while the range extender system has basically eliminated range anxiety. Not only that, the DM-I system also does a great job of carrying the weight of the large crossover with plenty of power on tap. That is the reason why we picked the BYD Sealion 6 as our winner for Electrified Drive in the hybrid category.
Electrified Drive – BEV Winner: BYD Seagull
Finalists: Hyundai Ioniq 6, BYD Seal
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 does not need an introduction, as it’s been recognized the world over for being a great BEV. However, we find that the Ioniq 6 was not as groundbreaking as the Ioniq 5 was, and its price of almost PHP 4 million means the great experience is only left out for those who can afford it.
Meanwhile, the BYD Seal is a performance EV that’s at a more palatable price point, and the rush you get when it reaches 100 km/h in less than 4 seconds is definitely a memorable experience. However, as an everyday EV that you can have fun with while being offered at a more affordable price point, the BYD Seagull is our winner of the Electrified Drive award for the BEV category.
Electrified Drive – Premium Winner: BMW i5
Finalists: Lexus LBX hybrid, Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid
As it was in our previous Electrified Drive award in the premium segment, we look for familiarity as an important factor when it comes to switching to electrified vehicles.
The Lexus LBX hybrid is the new entry point towards owning an electrified Lexus in the Philippine market, but the crossover is somewhat limited from bringing out the comfort and luxury of a typical Lexus because of its size. The Cayenne e-Hybrid, on the other hand, brings Porsche ownership to the electrified age.
The hybrid system can be for everyone, but in this award, we’re looking at a vehicle that has fully embraced electrification – and that is BMW with the i5.
As we all know, the 5 series is the quintessential BMW executive sedan, and the i5 offers very much the same experience but in a fully electric package. That is why we think the BMW i5 deserves the Electrified Drive award for the premium category.
Driven To Thrill (formerly Smiles Per Gallon)
The Smiles Per Gallon award used to be given to the vehicle that gave us plenty of excitement and performance behind the wheel. But for this year, we changed the name to “Driven To Thrill” since BEVs and PHEVs have also caught up in delivering great driving thrills.
Driven to Thrill Winner: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Finalists: Ford Mustang, Ferrari Purosangue, BMW i4 M50
This year, we had a chance to drive the Ferrari Purosangue, and you’d expect nothing less, especially for a car with the Prancing Horse badge. The Ford Mustang is a special mention because we see it with plenty of potential as an uncompromising grand tourer. However, we’re still reserved with our judgment since we haven’t really driven it long yet.
The BMW i4 M50 is indeed an exciting performance EV with its dual motor system, but the runaway winner for this year is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. In both Tanay and the Nurburgring, the Ioniq 5 N gave driving thrills that you would expect from a performance ICE in a fully electric package. And for us, that is important going forward as we move towards electrification. The sensations, the handling, and the sound, while artificially produced, properly simulated what we love the most about driving combustion-engined cars. That is the reason why we chose the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N as our winner for Driven To Thrill.
Adventure Vehicle
Apart from electrified vehicles, cars made to go outdoors have also flooded the market this year. That is the reason why we have five finalists for our Adventure Vehicle of the Year. As with our previous editions, the Adventure Vehicle this year has four-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, and has the capabilities, features, ground clearance, and customizability to take on the beaten path.
Adventure Vehicle Winner: Ford Ranger Raptor V6
Finalists: Jetour T2, Foton Tunland V9, Mitsubishi Triton Athlete, BAIC B30e Dune, Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Proving to be popular in the Philippine market are the likes of the Jetour T2 and Foton Tunland V9, as they both exhibit the rough and tough 4x4 look that outdoor lovers really like. The Mitsubishi Triton Athlete also makes it to the list as the added power of the new biturbo diesel and improved chassis characteristics make it a big step up over the previous model. The BAIC B30e Dune, on the other hand, is still a relative newcomer but it does offer a promising proposition since it’s electrified and has features that can be utilized for your adventure.
The Land Cruiser Prado is the much-awaited contender here as the light-duty version of the Land Cruiser is now taking on a more off-road-ready attitude. However, we think the best experience is still to come for the Prado as a hybrid version is available in other markets.
Our winner for this year offers the best experience out of the Ford Ranger Raptor lineup – it’s the new variant with the V6 engine. Along with the provisions that it has to accept upgrades and 4x4 accessories, the new V6 Raptor takes performance up a notch and really brings out the best in the Ranger platform.
Vince can't stop talking about the performance of that V6 when he drove it in Vietnam; actually, we even played a role in getting Ford to offer it here. That’s the reason why our Editors’ Pick for Adventure Vehicle of the Year belongs to the Ford Ranger Raptor V6.
Car of the Year
Last year, the GAC GS3 Emzoom took Car of the Year honors as it took things up a notch with some new features we never truly expected from a vehicle of its class, and at such an attractive price point. We tried to look for the vehicles that did the same for this year and moved the goalpost by setting a new standard.
Car of the Year: BYD Sealion 6
Finalists: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Kia Sonet
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is our finalist as it has brought the driving thrills we’ve become so used to with performance ICE vehicles but in a fully electric package. The Kia Sonet, on the other hand, changes the way you see a typical first car with the features that it packs for its price point.
However, when it comes to changing the game overall, the BYD Sealion 6 wins it, hands down. Quite simply, the BYD Sealion 6 will impress you with its DM-I technology and how its electrified system is ideal for long-distance trips, but what will make you stay and seal the deal is the value for money it possesses.
At just over PHP 1.5 million, you have a CR-V-sized crossover that has a premium audio system, fully digital screens, a panoramic sunroof, generous cabin space, and a comfortable ride whether in the city or on a road trip.
That makes the BYD Sealion 6 our 2024 Editors’ Picks Car of the Year.
