Shah Alam, 30 October 2008 - There was simply very little competition when the AUTOCAR ASEAN’s CAR OF THE YEAR 2008 judges evaluated the eligible vehicles for the “Large MPV” and the “Large SUV” categories – the Hyundai Grand Starex and the Inokom Santa Fe CRDI VGT were the easy winners respectively.

This was the brief given at the prize presentation ceremony by Denis Wong, Group Editor of MTM Publications Sdn Bhd. The panel of judges selected the finalists based on a variety of criteria such as styling, utility, safety, features, build quality, brand image, ride and handling, economy, performance and value for money. Each model was assessed in local conditions and points were allocated for each criterion, with the model scoring the highest points winning the award in its category.

There were 75 eligible entries for the AUTOCAR ASEAN’s CAR OF THE YEAR 2008 awards and only 50 were short listed.

In the categories where the Hyundai Grand Starex and Inokom Santa Fe CRDI VGT were in, the vehicles were faced against some of the other top models from Japan, Korea and Europe. Despite that, the Hyundai Grand Starex and Inokom Santa Fe CRDI VGT stood high above others.

While the win for the Santa Fe CRDI VGT came as little surprise, having won many of the world’s top awards since its launch two years ago, the win by the 11-seater Grand Starex came as a wonderful recognition for its value for money package and superior finishing backed by commendable performance.

For Malaysians, the awards give further credibility to the dedication by Hyundai Motor Company in currently coming out with world class standard vehicles to meet today’s discerning motorists.

The Hyundai Grand Starex is a recently imported 11-seater MPV that has four rows of full leather seats in completely lined interior and excellent ventilation by six rear cabin air-condition outlets mounted high on the ceiling. The rear-wheel drive vehicle has also some of the most sophisticated mechanical features such as the Variable Geometry Turbocharge (VGT) system that gives instant engine response and excellent fuel
economy and an ultra-smooth five-speed automatic transmission found only in niche market cars. Safety features are not compromised with the Grand Starex as it has Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and four-wheel ventilated disc brake rotors. Twin sliding side doors and specially angled front doors allow for easy entry and exit of the vehicle. For the Malaysian market, there is a rear view camera to assist the driver to complement the tight 5.6m turning radius. These and many more features are offered at RM138,888.00 which is real value for money.

The Inokom Santa Fe CRDI VGT is beginning to grab attention of SUV lovers. Its aerodynamic shape is not just good looks alone. It is a superb SUV as reviewed by motoring journalists all over the world. Among the special features for the Malaysian market are the easy-fold third row seats that allow for seven adults to be accommodated in an instant and the five-speed close ratio seamless automatic transmission. The interior is a luxurious car-like ambience that has appealed to all. Reasonably priced from RM158,888.00 upwards, it is a good companion to its petrol version with a 2.7-litre V6 engine.

In view of the very much improved quality and durability of new vehicles currently made by Hyundai Motor Company, the Malaysian sole distributor – Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd – is offering an exclusive back-to-back 5-year or 300,000km extended warranty to all its new cars at no extra cost.