The Malaysia Car of the Year Awards 2025 (MCOTY) once again served as a mirror to the nation’s rapidly evolving automotive landscape, recognising vehicles, leaders, and industry players that are shaping the future of mobility. Against a backdrop of technological advancement and shifting market expectations, the awards highlighted how innovation, sustainability, and real-world relevance are increasingly defining success in Malaysia’s automotive sector.
Taking the top honour as Overall Malaysia Car of the Year 2025 was the Zeekr 009 Ultra Luxury, a model that stood out for its advanced electric drivetrain, refined execution, comprehensive safety suite, and premium positioning. Its win marked the second consecutive year that an electric vehicle has claimed MCOTY’s highest accolade—an achievement that underscores how EVs have moved beyond early adoption to become benchmarks across multiple vehicle segments, including the luxury space.
Leadership within the industry was also in focus, with the Automotive Person of the Year (APOY) award presented to Dato’ Seri Zainal Abidin Ahmad, President and Chief Executive Officer of Perodua. Widely recognised as a driving force in Malaysia’s automotive ecosystem, he has steered the national carmaker to sustained market leadership while championing efficiency, quality, localisation, and affordability. Under his stewardship, Perodua has remained a major contributor to Malaysia’s Total Industry Volume (TIV), strengthened local vendor development, upskilled the workforce, and aligned closely with national automotive and sustainability strategies. His leadership has also supported key milestones, including the introduction of Malaysia’s first locally developed electric vehicle, the Perodua QV-E.
A defining theme of MCOTY 2025 was the strong presence of electrified vehicles among the winners, particularly full battery-electric models. At the same time, the results reflected a pragmatic transition underway in the market, where hybrids and modern turbocharged internal combustion engines continue to play an important role. This balance highlights how Malaysia’s automotive evolution is progressing steadily, embracing new technologies without abrupt disruption.
Consumer preferences were captured through the People’s Choice Award 2025, which went to the Proton X50 1.5TD Flagship. The model’s popularity reflects how Malaysian buyers increasingly value a blend of technology, efficiency, safety, and overall value—priorities that align closely with the industry’s broader move towards smarter and more sustainable mobility solutions. 
Beyond vehicles and individuals, MCOTY 2025 placed renewed emphasis on the automotive supply chain and vendor ecosystem, in line with the Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute’s (MARii) mission to build a resilient and competitive industry. Vendor awards were presented to Asian Automotive Steels Sdn Bhd and Delloyd Electronics Sdn Bhd, recognising their long-standing contributions in engineering capability, localisation efforts, and support for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers within Malaysia.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof noted that the growing prominence of electric vehicles among top award winners reflects Malaysia’s readiness to adopt cleaner and smarter mobility solutions. He highlighted how this progress aligns with national and regional aspirations, adding that the government’s focus on energy transition presents significant opportunities for industry players to invest in green technologies and strengthen local capabilities.
Echoing this sentiment, YB Tuan Sim Tze Tzin, Deputy Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI), emphasised that platforms such as MCOTY play a crucial role in reflecting Malaysia’s industrial and trade direction. He stressed that continued collaboration between government, manufacturers, suppliers, and technology providers will be essential in positioning Malaysia as a competitive automotive and mobility hub in the region.
According to Azrul Reza Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of MARii, MCOTY 2025 goes beyond recognising standout vehicles to acknowledge the wider ecosystem that supports product development, manufacturing quality, and long-term sustainability in line with the National Automotive Policy (NAP2020). This year’s expanded award categories reflected the industry’s growing scope, encompassing suppliers, sustainability and ESG initiatives, energy efficiency, and industry enablers.
Organised by Mobility Media and co-organised by MARii, MCOTY 2025 winners were selected through a rigorous and transparent judging process conducted by experienced automotive journalists and industry professionals. Vehicles were assessed across eight key criteria: Appearance, Safety, Ergonomics, Value for Money, Practicality, Performance, Energy Efficiency, and Warranty—ensuring a balanced evaluation grounded in real-world relevance.
As a long-standing industry benchmark, the Malaysia Car of the Year Awards continue to celebrate achievements that extend beyond commercial success. MCOTY 2025 reinforces a clear message: Malaysia’s automotive industry is not only growing, but evolving in step with global mobility trends—embracing innovation, sustainability, and consumer-centric progress as it drives into the future.
