Subaru and Japan Car of the Year
Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) has been around since 1980. The first winner was the Mazda Familia, which more seasoned individuals might know better as the Mazda GLC. Since then, Toyota and Honda have taken loads of wins with 15 and 14, respectively. From time to time, though, Subaru sneaks in to surprise the judges.
Throughout JCOTY’s history, Subaru has won it three times. They first got it in 2003 with the fourth-generation Legacy, which makes us even sadder to see it go this year. It took a while for it to get the second one, the fifth-generation Impreza, in 2016. After that, the second-generation Levorg, also known as the WRX Wagon, gave Subaru its third title in 2020.
But now, Subaru can add another trophy to its cabinet as the Forester Hybrid, known there as the Forester e-Boxer, has won it for the hardworking folks in Gunma.
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Surprised?
As more and more car awards gravitate towards EVs, it’s rather refreshing to see something that still has an engine to win. Then again, JCOTY rarely gives out overall spoils to battery-powered vehicles, only awarding EVs twice throughout its history.
But back to the Forester, judges praised the compact crossover for its performance, practicality, efficiency, and safety. It’s pretty good value over in Japan, too, with e-Boxer prices ranging from ¥4,202,000 to ¥4,598,000 ($27,000 to $30,000). Translated from Japanese, here is what the awards body said.
“The Subaru Forester was highly praised as an SUV that combines driving performance, practicality, comfort, off-road capability, and safety, which Subaru has always placed a high priority on. With the adoption of the long-awaited Strong Hybrid (S:HEV), the unique horizontally opposed engine has evolved into a “SUBARU-esque environmental engine” that combines fuel efficiency with driving pleasure. Furthermore, the car also received high praise for its advanced safety features, including EyeSight X and other advanced driver assistance technologies, as well as airbags that help reduce injuries to pedestrians and cyclists alike.”
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The Cars it Beat
Right behind the Forester e-Boxer was the much-anticipated Honda Prelude that’s already been selling like hotcakes in Japan. In third place came the Toyota Crown Estate, better known in North America as the Crown Signia. Fourth went to the drastically redesigned Nissan Leaf, while the Volkswagen ID.Buzz rounded up the top five.
As for the rest of the finalists, the Hyundai Inster took home sixth, and the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe came in seventh. In eighth was the Peugeot 3008, while the Suzuki e-Vitara and Daihatsu Move were ranked ninth and tenth, respectively.
Subaru
Subaru
