The executive sedan of the year has traditionally been reserved for the premium German brands. In the last couple of years, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi have all brought more value to the segment. But this year, it was a mass-market Japanese brand that stole the throne. It’s a comeback story 2 generations in the making.
Our winner: The Toyota Camry.
This nameplate returns to the top of its game, bringing a level of desirability unseen in the D-segment for years. At the same time, Toyota has stuck to its roots. They have opted to use a proven 2.5-litre engine and a 6-speed transmission to deliver on the brand’s promise of maximum durability and reliability. With Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) underpinnings, the new Camry marries comfort and dynamics.
At the same time, perceived value has been pushed up a notch. There are Lexus-esque design touches both outside and in. For the corporate buyer or businessman Toyota have made this new Camry a no-brainer.
Toyota Camry 2.5 Specification
Engine: DOHC 16V Dual VVT-I with ACIS
Capacity: 2494cc
Max power: 184bhp @ 6000rpm
Max torque: 235Nm @ 4100rpm
Transmission: 6-speed Super ECT
Price: RM189,900.00
How VOTY Winners are selected.
Our process is simple and clean.
All cars launched in Malaysia within 13 months of 2019 are eligible for entry. We contact all car brands operating in the country and ask to test these cars. There are no participation fees, no buying of tables at the event, no charge whatsoever. All that’s needed is a fresh enough car, and a willingness to give our judges a test drive.
About a month before the event, the four judges from dsf.my and gohedgostan.com (Daniel Sherman Fernandes, Ross Hadi, Amirul Mukminin and Subhash Nair) convene to discuss which vehicles impressed us in each category. The judges can only vote on cars that they’ve driven. A simple majority is all it takes for a car to win in a category.
Our title sponsor Allianz recognises the integrity of our team and all players involved in deciding on winners and leaves all decisions to us regarding the winners. We hope our readers appreciate the efforts of all parties involved and provide us with feedback on how we can further improve on this.
