Nissan Sakura / Mitsubishi eK Cross EV named 2022-2023 Car of the Year Japan, the award's organizer said Thursday. The winner was determined by the selection committee, mainly comprising auto journalists.
Nissan won the award for the second consecutive year, with its Note electric motor-driven subcompact clinching last year's title. Meanwhile, it was the first time in 26 years for Mitsubishi Motors to claim the trophy.
The Sakura and the eK X EV are capable of running for up to 180 kilometers on one full charge. Another feature of the vehicle is its high availability compared with other EVs, as it can be purchased from around ¥1.3 million ($9,530) through the use of state and municipal subsidies and other discounts.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 all-electric SUV won the 2022-2023 Import Car of the Year at Japan Car of the Year.
Car of the Year Japan 2022/2023 results:
| Model | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nissan Sakura/Mitsubishi eK Cross EV | 399 |
| 2 | Honda Civic e: HEV/Civic Type R | 320 |
| 3 | Toyota Corona | 236 |
| 4 | Mazda CX-60 e-SKYACTIV D 3.3 | 141 |
| 5 | Nissan X-Trail | 84 |
| 6 | Hyundai IONIQ 5 | 75 |
| 7 | Nissan Fairlady Z | 72 |
| 8 | Renault Arkana | 70 |
| 9 | BMW iX | 45 |
| 10 | Land Rover Range Rover | 30 |
| 11 | Suzuki Alto | 28 |
The Car of the Year Japan Award (also known as JCOTY or Japan Car of the Year) has been held every year since 1980. The 2020-2021 season's award went to the Subaru Levorg station wagon, and Toyota RAV4 won the year before.
Source: JCOTY, Japan Times