@Vento & @mart1n2005 - Perrot Compagne
A clean, modern and relatively good-looking hatchback. Very well made and nice proportions. Looks zippy and practical. Not sure what that gigantic vent headlight is about, lol. But… failed noise regulations (loudness, 45.3 vs 40) and 200$ over-budget. ($30,200)
@the-chowi - Busan C30 GTS
Good looking in that rugged, practical way. Very detailed and really, really well-made. Love the rear haunch molding and body-colored “fin” C-pillar. Looks less like a cheaper version of an elegant luxury sedan and more a premium version of a practical and capable city sedan. But… failed due to 2018 engine & variant year.
@Ananas - Oran Equeste
Honestly, not sure how to feel about the low-mounted headlights and tail-lights. From the front, it gives it a sporty look but from the rear it just makes it look tall. Reminds me of older generation sportscars with the bulbous look and relatively visually small greenhouse. But… failed due to negative (-2) quality slider.
@BiggE_Huggs - Thresher Kawikima
This looks more like a '10s era car with the styling and the usage of those headlights, tail lights and an antenna above the cockpit - doesn’t really scream 2024 premium. Otherwise a very simplistic and basic wagon design. Failed due to wrong naming scheme and exceeded wheelbase limits (2.9m).
@Hilbert - Aitlan Peressal
A really well-made, detailed car. The rear light design is quite cool, and follows the rear haunch lines. The blacked out roof and blacked out lower grille area really emphasizes the sporty look and looks fantastic, but again does not really feel like a cheap luxury car but a more premium cheap car. Failed due to 2013 engine and variant year.
@nightwave - Hydrion Manta 417
Quite busy front with the lines of the DRLs, grille, and lower vents. The rear is quite weird with that angular vertical tail light and circular lamp. Otherwise a standard looking sedan. Failed due to 0 engine techpool (even tho default is already at 5?)
@DuceTheTruth100 - Axxus Grand
Looks pretty premium overall, a good example for an SUV body. The way the rear light bar is connected elegantly to the rear haunch lines is a nice tough, but the front light design is anything but elegant - it screams at you for attention, which is not a bad thing in the Asian premium market. Unfortunately, this exceeded the wheelbase limits (2.85m vs 2.8m).
@supersaturn77 - Opti LOUNGE
Looks like a nice compact SUV or crossover. Massive wheel arches, especially the front where it overpowers everything else lol. Not sure about the front grille, the size of it isn’t a problem but it’s so shiny and the hexagonal accents are so large. Failed due to 2005 engine & variant year. (bruh)
@nate21 - Yoshino Hammerhead SL Sport
One word: WOW! This car looks the part - a truly premium and luxurious car, but at a cheaper price point. This car gives off looks that say sporty and powerful but also comfortable, owing to its elegant yet angular design. Amazingly well-built, beautifully restrained design, and every design element works well together and really combines to a sum greater than its parts. Extremely unfortunately… (and for some strange reason?) it only has 4 seats and thus cannot proceed. (bruh)
#13 @OT_motive - AMI u4 L
A super well-built, really nice design let down by its engineering. The design is a more angular and angrier version of another car here, it looks great with the matching front DRLs and tail light signatures. Possibly one of the more stealth-sport looking of the bunch here, with very minimal graphics and dark paint and blacked out front grille and rear light housings.
No additional techpool was used so at an inherent disadvantage compared to the others in all aspects, except in its practicality, where it’s the 3rd most practical. It has the worst drivability, comfort, reliability and also service costs. Unfortunately, despite its looks, it goes to the bottom of the list purely to its engineering score. Just… very surprising - it’s 290HP 2.0L Inline-4 compares well to the rest, its viscous AWD system, a full all-around wishbone setup and light AHS monocoque with partial aluminum panels should theoretically give it the edge… but I guess the devil is in the details in its fine-tuning.
#12 @AndiD - Mara Urban 1.6 KES 4Trak
Well-built but not very premium looking. A very boxy and utilitarian design, not something that shows off how newly well-off you are. The small wheels in comparison to the large body and tall greenhouse does not help the design. Usually small wheels would signal fuel efficiency and a large practical interior space, but this only gets average results in both.
This car being the 2nd cheapest from the pack (at $25,800) did not help since the couple is willing to spend all of the budget. However, it’s plus point is that it has the highest drivability and reliability by far, owing to its 175HP 1.6L Inline-4 engine. Also, a weird engineering penalty has been added here - this car uses Basic 10s safety, which IMO is really weird for a premium 2024 car. Thus, a combination of a very low design score, the weird engineering penalty, the lowest safety, 2nd-lowest comfort puts this at #14.
#11 @VanZandt_Breda - Keystone XRE
The rear is quite well made and the “fang” tooth design of the tail lights and lower fender reflectors is a nice tough. The front however, leaves much to be desired - the headlight housing and grille don’t really follow the bonnet’s built-in lines. Otherwise, an average and acceptable design.
Engineering-wise, with its 120hp 1.4L inline-4, it’s no surprise it scores the least (by far) in prestige and sportiness, and somehow well below average in drivability too. Fuel economy surprisingly is also only a bit better than average, at 13.3km/L (the average being 12.7km/L). However, this does have the cheapest service costs. Not sure about it’s glued aluminum-monocoque chassis - being light does not really have any advantages here. On the plus side, it scores well above average in comfort and safety.
#10 @ErenWithPizza - Gipfe LC 40DT
Pretty simple design but not a bad thing at all, I’d say it’s a very cohesive design look and pretty premium looking. Although… like another entrant, what is with the very low tail light design trend lol. Regardless, nice wheels filling out the fenders, making it look sporty and more expensive than a typical utilitarian car. The grille’s chrome(?) looks kind of random and does not flow into the lights nor have any connection with the other design elements of the car.
This car makes the most power of the bunch, at 325hp with a 3.0L V6, but perhaps the suspension tuning is sub-par, as drivability, comfort, practicality and sportiness are all well below average. On the plus side, its prestige, safety, and fuel economy are well below average. This is surprising because it’s one of the few cars here with a luxury HUD infotainment system - perhaps the all-around wishbone and galvanized monocoque setup and tuning lets it down.
#9 @oldmanbuick - Excelsior CS100 3.0A
The sleek black paint and simple horizontal design lines look premium, but the proportions overall and the slight forward lean is a bit awkward and does not feel premium. I like how the headlights flow with the grille and how the chrome accents give it a bit of bling with a little bit on the front (grille and lower vents), sides (window trim and door handles) and rear (tail light and plate housings).
With a typical configuration of premium interior, premium infotainment, advanced 20s safety, wishbones-all-around, galvanized monocoque and treated steel panels, and a 258hp 3.0L inline-6 engine, will this car do well??? It’s decidedly average on most counts, with drivability, comfort and fuel economy just a bit below average. However, it is the 2nd most reliable car here! The sportiness is also slightly above average too, probably owing to its helical AWD setup. SVC is really good, too. Otherwise, a pretty unremarkable car with average stats throughout that also was not helped by its design score.
#8 @lotto77 - Halvson CU Newton 0X
A very unique and bold design characterized by a minimalist bar of light on both the front and back. It looks really good and clean, with nice proportions that look both sporty yet practical. The paint and places where the contrasting paint is applied however, looks a bit weird. At the front bonnet, it is pretty nice and acts as an accent color, on the sides, it angles down at an angle randomly and at the rear the accent paint is overpowered by the massive yellow badging and lettering.
Really good practicality - in fact, the best here. The best fuel economy, too, owing to its (relatively) tiny 212hp 1.8L inline-5 and FWD platform. Second-highest comfort with a well-tuned wishbone/multi-link and premium interior setup. Slightly above average drivability, and reliability. Really only let down by its safety, which is the 2nd worst of the bunch, as it uses a standard 20s system with a light AHS monocoque chassis. Overall, not a bad car per se, but the competition here is really tough.
#7 @Elouda - Rhea P180
Love the dark green color and the choice of rims, they actually fit the headlight design too somehow lol. Wouldn’t say it’s very premium looking but it also doesn’t look like it’s from a cheap/practical car family either, literally right in the middle. Not bad. Main suggestions would be to maybe make the front grille, vent and headlight flow better together with their lines.
The worst part about the engineering is the 2nd lowest reliability, well below average fuel consumption and below average SVC. Otherwise a really well-tuned car! Above average drivability, comfort, prestige and well above average safety. This car also has the 2nd highest sportiness, possibly owing to it’s (relatively) tiny 221HP 1.8L V6 with a viscous AWD setup which is an… interesting engineering choice lol. Interesting to note but this is also the only other car to use a luxury HUD infotainment system, which might explain the reliability hit.
#6 @Texaslav - Somervell Sinclair 2.3 2X w/ Sport Package
A really nicely made, well-designed car. Looks premium with its long and sleek proportions. The slim split grille design and large angular headlights complement the rear tail lights well. Not sure if those are headlights on the front vents…? The regular headlight housing seems large enough lol. The dual exhaust rear is a nice touch.
The engineering is quite well done here too, with above average drivability, prestige, and reliability. This car also has the highest sportiness, from its 209hp 2.3L inline-5 and RWD platform. This high sportiness also does not impact fuel economy nor SVC, with both scoring really high marks. The only downsides are its practicality and safety… which is coming from a Standard 10s system, which is… really, really weird for a 2024 model year car. A weird engineering penalty has been added here as with one other entrant, but not as bad as that, as that used a Basic one.
#5 @Koviico - Arima Sentenir
Another amazing looker. Extremely well-built and very nicely designed, with nice design details yet a restrained look overall. Every design element works well together and helps to combine into something greater than the sum of its parts. Love both the rear tail light and headlight design. Unlike the other more sporty-looking sedans here (which are easy to make premium-looking from its proportions alone), this is a good example of how to make something with visually practical proportions (big greenhouse) yet still keep it looking sleek and sporty.
With a 296HP 3.9L V8, it is no surprise that this scored the highest in prestige… and the lowest in fuel economy. The car is based on an aluminum semi-spaceframe chassis with wishbone and multilink suspension with full aluminum body panels, and a 7-spd auto with a helical AWD setup. However, tuning can be better improved as drivability is just average. However, both sportiness and practicality are well above average. Comfort is just slightly above average. What gets this car is its safety score, which is well below average, possibly owing to its standard 20s setup. Again, not a bad car - but the competition is really tight.
#4 @IncredibleHondaFit - Vincima Aurelia
Once again, well-made and another looker. Really like the classy front grille and understated overall design, the thin headlight combined with the thin tail lights with the eye design looks great and premium. Not much to critique other than the weird chrome inner accents on the lower front lip vents. Otherwise, a great looking car.
This car has a 303HP 3.5L V6 with on-demand AWD. Wishbones all-around on a semi-spaceframe chassis and partial aluminum body. The result is the 2nd highest prestige, possibly due to sheer displacement and a V6 with premium interior and premium infotainment. However, comfort was actually below average, while the drivability was above average. Practicality and sportiness is good too - both are well above average, but fuel economy suffers - well below average at 11km/L. Overall, not bad at all!
#3 @Riley & @GetWrekt01 - Zephorus Quattravarci GT-Line
First thing that comes to mind is aggressiveness. Angry headlights and angular grille design with a menacing drop tail light design gives this car that really angry look on the road that customers love. Proportions are perfect for a sedan style body, although it does look convincingly like a gran coupe design which is cool too.
Hopefully that 271hp 3.0L V6 makes the noises that this car’s design visually wants to make. As for the engineering, this car is above average in all the important aspects - drivability, comfort, reliability, fuel economy and SVC. However, ironically, it’s below average in sportiness and practicality. It’s safety is also just slightly below average, too. This is possibly due to the use of a corrosion-resistant monocoque instead of a high-strength steel one. Otherwise, it has an 8-spd automatic FWD platform with a wishbone/multilink setup.
#2 @vero94773 - Voltari Auraelion Prestige 2.5T AWD w/ VallioreSport Design Package
Stunning, stunning design. Love, love the headlight and tail light signature. It’s unique and works really well, accentuating the sleek and sporty vibes of the car. The greenhouse is very sporty-looking and I love the chrome lower rear lip/exhaust accents at the rear. Not much else to say. Really great looking car, wow.
Engineering-wise, the bad points first: practicality is the 2nd-worst, most likely due to the interior space from that really sloped greenhouse. Reliability is also below average. SVC is well below average too. Sportiness is exactly average - surprising given its sporty looks and 296hp 2.5L inline-5. And… that’s it. Everything else is above average: drivability, comfort, prestige, and the highest safety score here by far, too - owing to its advanced 20s safety and AHS monocoque chassis for sure. Otherwise, this car uses an 8-spd automatic helical AWD system and rides on a wishbone/multilink setup with premium interior and premium HUD infotainment.
@vouge & @Tsundere-kun - Teyami Sontana TXS
A really nice example of how you can do a premium saloon design without going for an overly sporty or coupe look. The restrained yet masterfully done body sculpting touches on the sides and lower rear is super great. The grey accent on the lower windows and the way it thickens at the C-pillar is a great, really nice touch. This grey accent continues with the lower lip side vents, providing a really unexpected yet striking design that still somehow works. Overall, a really nice design.
Its engineering is also a class above the others - quite literally. The scoring difference between 1st place and 2nd is larger than 2nd place to 11th place lol. (Those in #5 to #2 are actually super close together)
Anyways - for a complete rundown, this car uses a 205hp 2.3L inline-4 engine with an 8-spd automatic gearbox with a viscous AWD system. It has an AHS monocoque chassis with partial aluminum panels, and rides on a wishbone/multilink setup. It has a premium interior, premium HUD infotainment, and standard 20s safety system.
Seems pretty typical engineering choices - however, the tuning is impeccable. 2nd highest drivability, most comfortable (by far), 2nd highest practicality, and well above average SVC. In other aspects, it is truly above average in everything too - prestige, safety, reliability, sportiness and fuel economy.
The tuning towards high drivability and comfort definitely gave it its high score, not to mention the fact that literally every judged criteria was also above to well above average did it plenty of favors. Although it did not receive the highest design score, the engineering is weighted more in this QFC so that’s not a problem at all.
to all.