Japan names its best cars of 2024

The jury over at the Japan Car of the Year Award has decided which cars get to bear the title of the country’s best. For the first time in 14 years, Honda won the top prize with its Freed minivan.

Aside from its utility and comfort, the jury praised the Honda Freed for being enjoyable to actually drive. Its part-electric e:HEV powertrain also received considerable praise.

This year’s winner ended up with 220 points awarded by 59 jury members. Mazda CX-80 landed second with 196 points. Mini Cooper landed third in the overall ranking and also won the Foreign Car of the Year title thanks to its technological sophistication, safety and flexible powertrain choices.

Mitsubishi Triton, also known as the L200 in some countries, landed on the 10th line of the ranking, but nonetheless won the prize for the best appearance. The hydrogen-powered variant of the Honda CR-V brought home the Technology award, and Mazda was separately recognized for its e-Skyactiv R-EV powertrain. It’s an advanced range-extender hybrid system that uses a Wankel engine (a.k.a. rotary engine) to generate electricity for the motors.

This year’s biggest surprise came in the form of the BYD Seal, the first China-designed car to ever make it into the list of the Japanese award. It landed on the eighth place.