The Malaysia Car of the Year Awards 2025 (MCOTY 2025) once again underscored the rapid transformation of the local automotive landscape, as manufacturers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers gathered to celebrate excellence in innovation, performance, and sustainability amid a period of significant technological change.
Taking the highest honour, the Overall Malaysia Car of the Year 2025 title was awarded to the Zeekr 009 Ultra Luxury. The all-electric model stood out for its advanced EV drivetrain, high levels of refinement, comprehensive safety suite, and luxury-focused execution. Its win reflects how electric vehicles have moved well beyond early adoption, now setting new benchmarks across premium and high-end segments.
Notably, MCOTY 2025 marks the second consecutive year that an electric vehicle has secured the awards’ top accolade. This achievement signals the steady growth of electrification in Malaysia, alongside increasing consumer and industry confidence in EV technology, particularly within higher-value vehicle categories.
The Automotive Person of the Year (APOY) 2025 award was presented to Dato’ Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, President and Chief Executive Officer of Perodua. Widely recognised as a key figure in Malaysia’s automotive ecosystem, Dato’ Seri Zainal Abidin has been instrumental in strengthening Perodua’s market leadership while driving efficiency, localisation, and affordability for Malaysian motorists.
Under his leadership, Perodua has consistently delivered strong sales performance and made a substantial contribution to Malaysia’s Total Industry Volume (TIV). His tenure has also emphasised vendor development, workforce upskilling, and alignment with national automotive and sustainability policies. These efforts have reinforced Perodua’s role as a cornerstone of the local industry, including progress towards Malaysia’s first locally developed electric vehicle, the Perodua QV-E.
A defining characteristic of MCOTY 2025 was the strong representation of electrified vehicles among the winners, particularly full battery-electric models. At the same time, the results highlighted the continued relevance of hybrid powertrains and modern turbocharged internal combustion engines, illustrating a market transition that is evolutionary rather than abrupt.
Reflecting strong consumer sentiment, the People’s Choice Award 2025 went to the Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship, a model that resonated strongly with Malaysian buyers. The award underscores how consumer priorities—technology, safety, efficiency, and value—are increasingly aligned with the industry’s broader move towards more advanced and sustainable mobility solutions.
MCOTY 2025 also placed dedicated emphasis on the automotive supply chain and vendor ecosystem, in line with the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute’s (MARii) mandate to support a resilient and competitive industry. Vendor awards this year were presented to Asian Automotive Steels Sdn Bhd and Delloyd Electronics Sdn Bhd, recognising their sustained contributions through engineering capability, localisation initiatives, and support for OEM and Tier-1 manufacturing operations in Malaysia.
“The Malaysia Car of the Year Awards reflect how far the nation’s automotive industry has progressed, not only in scale but also in innovation and sustainability. The increasing presence of electric vehicles among top award winners shows Malaysia’s readiness to embrace cleaner and smarter mobility solutions,” said YAB Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. He added that this progress aligns with national and regional aspirations, as the government’s energy transition agenda creates new opportunities for investment in green technologies and future-ready mobility solutions.
Winners at MCOTY 2025 were selected through a rigorous and transparent evaluation process conducted by a panel of experienced automotive journalists and industry professionals. Vehicles were assessed across eight core criteria: Appearance, Safety, Ergonomics, Value for Money, Practicality, Performance, Energy Efficiency, and Warranty—ensuring recognition for well-rounded excellence rather than isolated strengths.
“Platforms such as MCOTY play an important role in reflecting the direction of Malaysia’s industrial and trade agenda, especially as the automotive sector transitions towards higher value-added, technology-driven, and sustainable manufacturing,” said YB Tuan Sim Tze Tzin, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI). He emphasised that continued collaboration between government, OEMs, suppliers, and technology providers will be vital in strengthening Malaysia’s competitiveness and positioning the country as a regional automotive and mobility hub.
Echoing this sentiment, Azrul Reza Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MARii, noted that MCOTY 2025 goes beyond celebrating individual vehicles. “The awards also recognise the broader ecosystem—including suppliers, vendors, and industry enablers—whose contributions are critical to product development, manufacturing quality, and long-term sustainability, in line with the National Automotive Policy (NAP 2020).”
Organised by Mobility Media and co-organised by MARii, MCOTY 2025 featured an expanded range of award categories covering not only vehicle performance, but also automotive suppliers, energy efficiency, sustainability and ESG practices, and industry enablers. Together, the awards continue to serve as a key industry benchmark, highlighting achievements that reflect progress in technology, sustainability, and real-world consumer relevance.
MCOTY 2025 ultimately reinforces a clear message: Malaysia’s automotive industry is not just growing—it is evolving in step with global mobility trends.
