South African Car of the year semi-finalists announced

The South African Car of the Year (COTY) contest, organised by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists has announced the semi-finalists of the 2023 competition.

The first step in the vehicle selection process was to determine eligibility based on the COTY rules and regulations. The validation committee reviewed more than 80 vehicles and determined that 55 vehicles met the stringent entry requirements.

This list of validated vehicles was then presented to members of the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists on a dedicated online voting platform to settle on the list of semi-finalists.

In January 2023, the recently announced COTY jury will cast their votes to whittle the list of semi-finalists down to a list of finalists. These contenders will then undergo a stringent evaluation process before the jury locks in their scores to crown the official 2023 South African Car of the Year.

Alfa Romeo Tonale

Audi e-tron GT / RS e-Tron GT

Audi RS 3 Sedan / Sportback

BAIC Beijing X55

BMW 2-series Coupe

BMW 7-Series

BMW i4

BMW iX3

Chery Tiggo Pro 7

Chery Tiggo Pro 8

Ford Everest

Ford Ranger

Haval H6 Hybrid

Honda Civic RS

Hyundai Grand Creta

Hyundai Kona N

Hyundai Tucson

Isuzu D-Max

Jeep Gladiator

Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Kia Carnival

Kia Sorento

Kia Sportage

Land Rover  Range Rover

Mahindra XUV700

Mercedes-Benz S-class

Nissan Qashqai

Opel Mokka

Porsche 911 GT3

Porsche Cayman GT4 RS

Renault Clio 5

Suzuki Baleno

Toyota GR86

 Toyota Rav4 E-Four

 Volkswagen Taigo

 Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge

“Congratulations to the semi-finalists, who have made it through a strict round. Though there is still some way to go, they have already proven their resilience: The automotive market has changed drastically after COVID-19, and consumers are more in need than ever before of solutions that are adaptable to the times,” says Garth Napier, MD of Old Mutual Insure, the new headline sponsor of the SA COTY competition.