Singapore, 16 January 2018 - Torque, Singapore's leading motoring monthly, presented trophies today to the 10 'Best in Class' winners at the ST-Torque Awards 2017, including the coveted Straits Times Car of the Year 2017 award, which went to the Lexus LC500.

For the seventh year running, Torque - a monthly motoring title published by SPH Magazines - has partnered with The Straits Times (ST) 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 contenders were rated against their typical rivals based on nine criteria: performance, handling, ride, build quality, efficiency/economy, ergonomics, styling, value for money and the X factor.

There were 12 judges on the ST-Torque Awards 2017 panel, headed by Christopher Tan, Senior Transport Correspondent of The Straits Times, Consulting Editor at Torque magazine and Singapore's foremost motoring journalist for the past 30 years.

Christopher's co-driver in the judging panel was David Ting, Editor of Torque and a 22-year motoring media veteran.

The ST Car of the Year and the collaborative ST-Torque Awards are the country's most authoritative editorial recognition of vehicular excellence.

Mr Christopher Tan, Consulting Editor of Torque and Senior Transport Correspondent of The Straits Times, said: 'For what appeared at first to be an uncharacteristically dry year, 2017 actually gave us a number of mouth-watering cars. Cars like the Lexus LC500, Peugeot 3008 and Volvo XC60. The annual ST-Torque Awards pays tribute to them, as well as all the others which have emerged as segment leaders.'

Mr David Ting, Editor of Torque, said: 'Thanks to continuous advancements in automotive design and vehicular technology, good cars are being introduced every year without fail. Some of them, however, go beyond 'good', by scoring great marks in the score sheets of the ST-Torque Awards and convincing the judges that they are the best cars of the year, in their respective categories.'

Mr Samuel Yong, Marketing Director, Borneo Motors, who accepted the ST Car of the Year 2017 award for the Lexus LC500, said: 'Winning the ST Car of the Year is a great honour for the Lexus LC500. The win is definitely a strong endorsement of Lexus' renowned craftsmanship and bold design.'

Announced in the January 2018 issue of Torque, the winning cars are:

ST-TORQUE AWARD WINNERS FOR 2017

Straits Times Car of the Year 2017 - Lexus LC500

Best Compact SUV - Audi Q2

Best Executive Saloon - BMW 5 Series

Best Flagship Saloon - Porsche Panamera

Best Family Saloon - Renault Megane Sedan

Best Seven-seater MPV - Renault Grand Scenic

Best Seven-seater SUV - Mazda CX-9

Best Family Crossover - Peugeot 3008

Best Family SUV - Volkswagen Tiguan

Best Premium SUV - Volvo XC60

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About Torque

Since its inception in 1990, readers have trusted Torque as the authority when it comes to cars and the car culture. From test-driving the latest cars to appreciating all things automotive, Torque is the trusted opinion leader.

As Singapore's no. 1 monthly car magazine* and the automotive authority, Torque features the latest motoring news, informative articles and unbiased test-drive reports in a visually stunning package of top-quality photography and sleek design. Backed by a team of seasoned and passionate motoring journalists, Torque is the staple of car enthusiasts.

Torque is also distributed in Malaysia.

[*Source: Nielsen Media Index 2017]

About SPH Magazines

A leading publisher in Singapore and the region, SPH Magazines Pte Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of media organisation Singapore Press Holdings Limited.

With a proven track record for sterling editorial content, award-winning designs and creative solutions, SPH Magazines together with its subsidiaries, Blu Inc Holdings (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Blu Inc Media (HK) Limited and Blu Inc Media China, raise the bar as a dynamic publisher. In its stable are about 100 titles in the region, in English, Chinese and other languages, covering lifestyle, fashion, beauty, society, bridal, health, men's lifestyle, automobile, parenting, decor, new media and business. All the newsstand publications, including flagship title Her World, and other titles such as Female, Cleo, The Women's Weekly, Harper's BAZAAR, Cosmopolitan, The Peak, ICON, Home & Decor, Nuyou, Torque, Asia-Pacific Boating, AsiaSpa and LP Luxury Properties are among the highest-circulating titles and best-read in their respective lifestyle categories.

In addition, websites such as herworldPLUS.com, HardwareZone.com and Luxury-Insider.com have extended its reach online, engaging readers with interactive content, capturing audience beyond print.

SPH Magazines' established editorial unit provides excellent custom publishing services to major corporate clients by producing custom lifestyle magazines, newsletters and other collaterals to meet their business needs. clickTRUE Pte Ltd, an associate company of SPH Magazines, is a Pay Per Performance online marketing company specialising in Online Media Planning, Search Engine Marketing and Optimisation, Web Analytics Consultancy and Landing Page Optimisation.

With a vision to continue regional growth, SPH Magazines is set to hold a leading position in publishing in Asia, with a presence in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines and Vietnam.

As a Publisher of Choice, SPH Magazines aims to deliver the best to meet the diverse needs and interests of readers and advertisers.

Visit www.sphmagazines.com.sg for more information.

SPH - Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. published this content on 16 January 2018 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein.
Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 16 January 2018 09:24:08 UTC.

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