Head and shoulders advantage

The archetypical luxury car is nothing more than a big sedan with a big engine and big on luxury fittings and toys.With the arrival of premium sports utility vehicles (SUVs), the era of luxury cars as the choice of transport for affluent individuals is coming to an end as premium SUVs are taking their place.Not only does luxury SUVs have the comfort, refinement and toys to match, these machines offer drivers and passengers the psychological upper ground.Premium SUVs' bulk and ride height allow occupants to waft head and shoulders above the crowd in comfort.The Land Rover brand is perhaps the most illustrious marque in this year's Maybank/New Straits Times Car of the Year (COTY) category for SUVs priced above RM350,000.In its third generation, the Discovery makes an entry into this year's COTY, offering superior ground covering ability both on-road and off-road for seven persons.Based on the Discovery platform, but bodied like a Range Rover and drives like a car, the Range Rover Sport looks like an urban SUV, yet it has the Discovery's off-road ability.Though diesel-powered, the Range Rover is supremely refined. It serves as an opulent means of transportation as well as a rough-and-tumble adventure machine.This year also features the third generation Lexus RX350, the new incarnation of one of Malaysia's most popular luxury SUVs.It comes with all the qualities that we have come to expect from the Lexus brand - peerless build quality and superior comfort.Besides its new rugged fascia, Mercedes-Benz's facelifted ML350 brings with it the usual strengths associated with German car manufacturers, cutting edge technology, thoughtful user-friendly features, cosseting ride and European handling.The people friendly Swedes, with two entries in this year's COTY, should also not be forgotten.Dubbed the safest car on Malaysian roads, the crossover XC60 looks as futuristic, with the myriad safety features it comes equipped with.On the other hand, the massive seven-seat XC90 comes with a fuel-efficient diesel engine and loaded with creature comforts to pamper its passengers, be it on long motorway journeys or a short trip to the shops. Presently in its eighth year, COTY is organised by Cars, Bikes & Trucks to acknowledge achievements in the motoring industry.The COTY 2009 judging panel consists of 10 judges including motoring publication editors, automotive bloggers and academicians.Only vehicles that have been test driven by a majority of judges will make it to the final COTY 2009 list.The vehicles will be judged based on criteria such as exterior and interior design, comfort and ergonomics, performance, safety, emotional appeal, and even after-sales factors such as the comprehensiveness of a car's warranty.COTY is endorsed and supported by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA).The COTY 2009 gala dinner is due to be held on Dec 4, and more than 150 top automotive industry figures are expected to grace the ceremony.

SUV (RM350,000 and above)

Land Rover Discovery 3

Engine: 2,720cc, 6-cylinder, TDV6 dieselMax power: 189hp @ 4,000rpmMax torque: 440Nm @ 1,900rpmTransmission: 6-speed adaptive automatic with CommandShiftFeatures: 6 airbags, ABS, dynamic stability control (DSC), emergency brake assist (EBA), electronic traction control (ETC), 8-speaker Harmon/Kardon sound system, TerrainResponse, air suspension and rain sensorPrice: RM395,888 OTR without insurance

Range Rover Sport 2.7L V6

Engine: 2,720cc, 6-cylinder, TDV6 dieselMax power: 189hp @ 4,000rpmMax torque: 440Nm @ 1,900rpmTransmission: 6-speed adaptive automatic with CommandShiftFeatures: 8 airbags, ABS, dynamic stability control (DSC), electronic brake assist (EBA), electronic traction control (ETC), TerrainResponse, air suspension, hill descent control (HDC), front and rear park distance control (PDC), bi-xenon adaptive headlights, active roll mitigationPrice: RM532,888 OTR without insurance

Range Rover Sport 4.4L V8

Engine: 4,394cc, 8-cylinder, petrolMax power: 295hp @ 5,500rpm Max torque: 425Nm @ 4,000rpmTransmission: 6-speed adaptive automatic with CommandShiftFeatures: 8 airbags, ABS, dynamic stability control (DSC), electronic brake assist (EBA), electronic traction control (ETC), TerrainResponse, air suspension, hill descent control (HDC), front and rear park distance control (PDC), bi-xenon adaptive headlights, active roll mitigationPrice: RM572,888 OTR without insurance

Range Rover 3.6L V8

Engine: 3,630cc, 8-cylinder, HSE dieselMax power: 275hp @ 4,000rpmMax torque: 640Nm @ 2,000rpmTransmission: 6-speed adaptive automatic with CommandShiftFeatures: 8 airbags, ABS, dynamic stability control (DSC), electronic traction control (ETC), 14-speaker Harmon/Kardon LOGIC7 sound system with rear seat entertainment system, bi-xenon adaptive headlights, park distance control (PDC) with rear view camera, split tailgate, rain sensor and automatic headlights Price: RM643,888 OTR without insurance

Lexus RX350

Engine: 3,456cc, 6-cylinder, dual VVT-i, 2GR-FE petrolMax power: 273hp @ 6,200rpmMax torque: 346Nm @ 4,700rpmTransmission: 6-speed automatic, super ECT with AI shiftFeatures: 10 airbags, ABS, electronic brake force distribution (EBD), traction control (TRC), vehicle stability control system (VSC), brake assist (BA), vehicle dynamics integrated management (VDIM), hill-start assist, tilt and slide sunroof, powered back doorPrice: RM 377,000 OTR without insurance

Mercedes-Benz ML350

Engine: 3,498cc, 6-cylinder, petrolMax power: 268hp @ 6,000rpmMax torque: 350Nm @ 2,400 - 5,000rpmTransmission: 7-speed automatic transmissionFeatures: 8 airbags, ABS, acceleration skid control (ASR), electronic stability program (ESP), electronic traction system (4ETS), downhill speed regulation (DSR),  air suspension with adaptive dampening system (ADS), PRE-SAFE, NECK-PRO, rear seat entertainment system, roll-over sensor, tyre pressure loss warning system Price: RM 548,888 OTR without insurance

Volvo XC90 D5

Engine: 2,400cc, 5-cylinder, turbocharged diesel Max power: 185hp @ 4,000rpm Max torque: 400Nm @ 2,000 - 2,750rpm Transmission: 6-speed Geartronic automaticFeatures: 6 airbags, ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), dynamic stability and traction control (DSTC), emergency brake assist (EBA), roll stability control (RSC), whiplash protection system (WHIPS), interior air quality system (IAQS), rear seat entertainment system, rain sensorPrice: RM355,000 OTR without insurance

Volvo XC60 LE

Engine: 2,953cc, 6-cylinder turbocharged petrolMax Power: 285hp @ 5,600rpmMax Torque: 400Nm @ 1,500-4,800rpmTransmission: 6-speed Geartronic automaticFeatures: 6 airbags, ABS, electronic brake distribution(EBD), hydraulic brake assist (HBA), fading brake support (FBS), dynamic stability and traction control (DSTC), roll stability control (RSC), city safety, intelligent driver information system (IDIS), hill descent control, blind spot information system (BLIS), collision warning with auto brakes, lane departure warning (LDW), driver alert control (DAC), personal car communicator, automatically dimmed rear view mirror with compass, front and rear park assist, panoramic sunroof, rain sensorPrice: RM360,000 OTR without insurance