Torque presented trophies to the 10 “Best in Class” winners in the ST-Torque Awards 2015, including the coveted Straits Times Car of the Year 2015 award, which went to the BMW i8. This is the fifth time that Torque has partnered with The Straits Times to select the best new cars of the year, based on a robust voting system that sets the standard for automotive awards in Singapore.
The ceremony was held last month at Portico Prime, a modern European restaurant in Dempsey. Portico Prime’s special lunch menu for the event featured items inspired by the judging criteria of the ST-Torque Awards, such as “performance” beef short ribs, “good handling” oysters, “effi cient” feta cheese and “well-built” brick cakes.
The food was matched with Katnook Estate wines from Crystal Wines. The ST Car of the Year and the collaborative ST-Torque Awards are the country’s most authoritative editorial recognition of vehicular excellence. The contenders are rated against their typical rivals on nine criteria: performance, handling, ride, build quality, economy/efficiency, ergonomics, styling, value for money and the X factor.
The nine judges on the ST-Torque Awards 2015 panel are headed by Christopher Tan, senior correspondent at national newspaper The Straits Times, consulting editor at Torque magazine and Singapore’s foremost motoring journalist for the past 30 years. Axel Pannes, managing director of BMW Group Asia, commented on the Straits Times Car of the Year 2015 award for the BMW i8: “This is an extremely proud moment for BMW, as it is the first time a car brand has won the Straits Times Car of the Year award for two consecutive years, with the i3 winning in 2014. “Both BMW i vehicles are game changers, and winning this top Singapore automotive award reinforces how special these cars truly are.” Commenting on the Audi Q7’s win for Best 3-litre SUV, Jeff Mannering, managing director of Audi Singapore, said: “The Audi Q7 is sporty, progressive and sophisticated. We are glad that the judging panel agrees.” Sabrina Sng, Volvo general manager of Wearnes Automotive, who received the ST-Torque Award 2015 for Best 2-litre SUV, remarked: “We are exceptionally proud to win this award.
The all-new XC90 reflects the great passion that Volvo puts into its new cars in terms of design, engineering and safety innovation.” Eric Chan, managing director of Jardine Cycle & Carriage, Singapore Motor Operations, who received the ST-Torque Award 2015 for Best Mid-size SUV, said: “It is an honour for the Kia Sorento to be awarded this. It stands out in performance, quality and X factor. This award is also a testament to the steady improvements in Kia’s build quality.” William Choo, commercial director, Lexus, Borneo Motors, had this to say about the Lexus RC winning the ST-Torque Award 2015 for Best Mid-size Coupe: “The RC highlights Lexus’ continued progress in engineering vehicles that push boundaries in design and performance. We are honoured that it is deserving of this award.”
