Jurors of the 2025-2026 Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) have announced the Top 10 finalists and in a twist, 40 percent of this year’s finalists are models from non-Japanese manufacturers. From an initial list of 35 eligible vehicles, a selection committee composed of 60 members made up of Japan’s print, broadcast, and online media, chose the ten vehicles which are now vying for Japan’s highest honor.
Out of the 10, only six are from Japanese brands: Suzuki, Subaru, Daihatsu, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda. The remaining four are from BMW, Hyundai, Peugeot, and Volkswagen.
Among the notable finalists this year include the all-new Subaru Forester and Honda Prelude.
The all-new Forester, now available in the Philippines, rides on an enhanced version of the Subaru Global Platform. For this generation, it’s been toughened with a full inner frame construction and wider use of structural adhesives.
Moreover, it comes with Subaru’s first-ever full hybrid system. The electrified 2.5-liter horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder engine offers a peak output of 197 horsepower—the highest since the turbocharged Forester XT. Yet, it can also go up to 1,000 kilometers on a single tank of gas. This is all done with no compromises to its all-wheel drive system which maintains a traditional transfer case.
Meanwhile, the Prelude, which Honda Cars Philippines has confirmed to bring in by 2026, marks the return of one of Honda’s iconic nameplates. For this iteration, it reimagining what “joy of driving” means for the new generation. The sports coupe packs the high-performance chassis hardware of the Civic Type R making it a precise, responsive handler without compromising its grand touring packaging.
As the first-ever electrified Prelude, it uses Honda’s e:HEV 2.0-liter producing 200 horsepower and 315 Nm of torque. In addition, it comes with Honda’s new innovative S+ Shift system which delivers simulated gearshifts through the precise coordination of the combustion engine and high-power electric motor.
The Forester and Prelude are joined by: the Suzuki e-Vitara (another vehicle that may be coming to the Philippines), Daihatsu Move, Toyota Crown Estate, Nissan Leaf, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, Hyundai Inster, Peugeot 3008, and the Volkswagen ID.Buzz.
The 2025-2026 Japan Car of the Year will be announced on December 4.
Let’s go Honda Prelude!
ReplyDeleteDang, I thought it was a camry. Why the hell does the prelude look like the camry 🤣
ReplyDelete