Tatsuya Kushima Series Car of the YearTatsuya Kushima Series Car of the Year

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2024.12.18

What is the appeal of the Honda Freed, the 2024-2025 Japan Car of the Year?











This year's winning car, selected by a panel of automotive media

 

As the end of the year approaches, it is human nature to want to sum up the year. At this time every year, TV broadcasts news and events about the year. The same is true in the automobile industry, where the final selection meeting for the Japan Car of the Year awards was held the other day. I serve as a member of the selection committee.

 





This award is given every year to select the new car that represents the year, first 10 cars are selected and then the grand prize is decided. If a domestic car wins the top prize, it becomes the "Car of the Year", and the imported car that receives the most points becomes the "Import Car of the Year".
If an imported car wins the top prize, it will be the "Car of the Year" and there will be no "Import Car of the Year" award. In the past, this has been the case for the Volvo XC40, XC60, and VW Golf. Even though it is an award held in Japan, imported cars can win the grand prize.
The same can be seen when looking at similar awards overseas, where it is not uncommon for imported cars to win.







Honda Freed Honda Freed

Honda Freed was chosen as the car of the year







So how did this year's "Japan Car of the Year 2024-2025" go? The grand prize went to the Honda Freed, and the Import Car of the Year went to the MINI Cooper. The Freed and the Mazda CX-80 competed for the grand prize until the end. It was a surprisingly close race. The MINI Cooper followed behind and came in third overall.





The Honda Freed is certainly a good car. The catchphrase "Just Right," once used in a TV commercial, is still valid today, and the size of the car is exactly that. It is easy to use and has utility, so you can carry luggage and passengers without any trouble, and at the same time, you can enjoy the pleasant handling that is typical of Honda. It has athleticism that you wouldn't expect from a minivan. And the design is not bad either. The thin, eye-like headlights are cool and urban. You can see the high level of design sense.








By the way, the Mazda CX-80, which came in second place, is also well-known for its high design quality. This is a large-sized luxury SUV that perfectly embodies this. Looking at models like this, you can see that the design quality of domestic manufacturers is improving.





Mazda CX-80 Mazda CX-80

Second place went to the Mazda CX-2





Design and functionality, inheritance and evolution: what do we value?

 

However, this year I personally recommended the MINI Cooper, which seems more versatile. I feel that the go-kart-like driving, the challenge of BEV, and the design are one step ahead. This is because it is said that it is difficult to evolve design while preserving tradition. This is true for MINI and Fiat 500. The Fairlady Z also falls into this category. The high level of perfection of the first model, called the S30 series, has meant that no generation can escape its spell. The current model, the seventh generation, is the best example, but they have made good use of it and made it popular. I think that the struggle with one's own trajectory is a good perspective for evaluating the design side, as is the difficulty of creating something completely new.





MINI Awper MINI Awper

3rd place: MINI Cooper




The Japan Car of the Year 2024-2025 awards also included two other awards: Design Car of the Year and Technology Car of the Year. The former was won by the Mitsubishi Triton, and the latter by the e:FCEV installed in the Honda CR-V. The e:FCEV is an electric vehicle that uses hydrogen, but its technology has increased its practicality by enabling external charging.

 






That's the overview of this year's competition, but what was unique was that the 10 cars that were left before the final selection were very diverse. There were compact hatchbacks and minivans, as well as large SUVs and pickup trucks. There were even Korean and Chinese models.

 

It's a sign of the times that we have such a lineup of models. I don't think there were any large SUVs or pickup trucks until the 90s or early 2000s. This is diversity. Looking back at the 10 cars, I feel that we may see more of this kind of scene in the future.





Tatsuya Kushima

 

Motor journalist and columnist. Currently, he is the media site editor-in-chief and media business producer for the surfing magazine "NALU." She has previously served as editor-in-chief of many men's magazines, golf magazines, car magazines, airline in-flight magazines, etc. In addition to media activities, he is a member of the Japan Car of the Year selection committee, a member of the Japan Cigar Association, a Japan Boat of the Year selection committee, and the creative director of men's golf wear ``The Duke's Golf.''

 

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