COTY 2020: Our shortlist for Car of the Year 2020

Hello and welcome to WapCar’s 2020 Car of the Year. We’ve cherry picked some of the most popular cars that were either launched or updated in 2020. Without any delay, let’s get on with the list of nominees and why we’ve it picked it.

2020 Toyota Hilux Rogue

This is the new 2020 Toyota Hilux Rogue, sitting at the top of the Toyota Hilux range, priced at RM 146,880. It comes with a meatier 2.8-litre turbodiesel and more importantly, it now has the Toyota Safety Suite of ADAS, making the default choice for a pickup truck in Malaysia even more convincing.

2020 Honda CR-V

Refreshed for 2020, the range-topping Honda CR-V TC-P variant is now equipped with an all-wheel drive system. Prices have also dropped across the board, even when factoring SST exemption. It may not give the best bang for buck like the Proton X70, but it is still the among the best all-rounders.

2020 Proton X70

The locally-assembled Proton X70 brought a number of new features such as the dual-clutch transmission, powered tailgate, reclinable rear seat, etc. More impressively, prices have gone down slightly with the bump in features. As far as value proposition goes, the Proton X70 is the leader.

2020 Toyota RAV4

Now, there’s no denying that the 2020 Toyota RAV4 is the priciest among C-segment SUVs. However, there isn’t much to complain about other than the price. The Toyota RAV4 is a pleasant SUV to drive; its ride quality is excellent, boot space is large, powertrain is punchy yet efficient, etc. And that’s why it’s included in the list.

2020 Honda Civic

If there’s a car that ticks all the criteria of a C-segment sedan, it’s the 2020 Honda Civic. It’s spacious, practical, powerful, decently comfortable, and the facelift exercise introduced the Honda Sensing suite of ADAS. Priced at RM 139,600 (SST included), the Honda Civic the most convincing C-segment sedan at the moment.

2020 Mitsubishi Xpander

A welcome option in the B-segment MPV market. Like all its rivals, the 2020 Mitsubishi Xpander is powered by a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated engine. What makes it stand out then? Well, the suspension is well-tuned, seats are comfortable, space in the third row is class leading, and it has an abundant of storage spaces.

2020 Volkswagen Passat R-Line

Introduced to complement the existing Volkswagen Passat Elegance, the R-Line variant gets a few noteworthy goodies like the adaptive dampers (DCC), electronic differential (XDS), and 14-way powered driver seats. Having driven it, the DCC alone might just make it worth topping up for the R-Line as the ride quality is superb even on 19-inch wheels.

2020 Honda Accord

The tenth generation 2020 Honda Accord may be late to the game, but it was worth the wait. The Honda Accord has a laid back, smooth driving experience that befits the D-segment sedan image. Rear legroom is unrivalled and it’s the only D-segment sedan to feature Low Speed Follow for its Adaptive Cruise Control.

2020 Mercedes-Benz C200 AMG Line

Inside and out, the 2020 (W205) Mercedes-Benz C200 AMG Line looks exquisite. Powertrain has also been updated with a 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, making 204 PS/300 Nm. Now that the C300 no longer features Airmatic suspension, the C200 just became a more compelling choice.

2020 Volvo S60 T8 R-Design

The locally-assembled (CKD) Volvo S60 T8 R-Design was launched earlier this year, priced at RM 295,888 (SST included). For the price, nothing comes close the to what the Volvo S60 has to offer such as the 407 PS/640 Nm powertrain and full suite of ADAS with Pilot Assist.

2020 Honda City

One of the most anticipated cars this year, the 2020 Honda City. There’s a new 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the V variant gets Honda LaneWatch. The range-topping RS hybrid gets all-round disc brakes, electric parking brake, and Honda Sensing suite of ADAS.

2020 Nissan Almera

Unlike its closest rivals with a 1.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, the 2020 Nissan Almera gets a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. It makes 100 PS/152 Nm while transmission duty is handled by a CVT. One notable feature is the Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) that is standard across all variants.

2020 Proton X50

This is the most anticipated car of the year, perhaps even the decade. With the success of the Proton X70, it’s easy to understand why. At its price point, no other car can compete with the Proton X50's power output, interior execution and finishing and safety features. It’s the most affordable car to have level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability, something even cars quadruple its price don’t offer.

So there we have it, our shortlist for WapCar’s 2020 Car of the Year. But we’re also letting you, our beloved readers, to decide on the cars that deserve to win our inaugural Car of the Year award! Vote here.