The South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition is getting into gear for 2024 with the announcement of the semi-finalists for next year’s competition.
The 25 contenders were voted for by members of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) after being vetted by the COTY Committee.
COTY is an excellence award open to all vehicles launched during 2023. In order to qualify vehicles must be significantly “new” and not just a facelift or added derivative.
An exception to that newness rule is models in the Performance category which come with significant mechanical modifications.
To that end the Ford Ranger Raptor has been entered in the Performance category as a wild card, following the victory of its humbler Ranger bakkie line-up in the 2023 competition.
2024 South African Car of the Year Semi-Finalists
Budget and Compact
- Citroen C3
- Suzuki Fronx
- Toyota Vitz
Compact Family
- Omoda C5
- Renault Captur
- Suzuki Grand Vitara
- Toyota Urban Cruiser
Family
- BMW X1
- GWM Ora 03
- Mazda CX-60
- Nissan X-Trail
- Mitsubishi Outlander
Premium
- Lexus NX
- Mercedes-Benz GLC
Luxury
- BMW 7 Series
- BMW XM
- Mercedes-Benz EQE
- Mercedes-Benz EQS
4x4 Double Cab
- Volkswagen Amarok
Adventure SUV
- Lexus LX
- Mahindra Scorpio N
Performance
- BMW M2
- Ford Ranger Raptor
- Honda Civic Type R
- Toyota Corolla GR
The next step of the competition will see the jury vote to whittle this initial list down to a group of finalists, which will then be put through their paces early in 2024 in a series of road- and track-based tests.
The SA COTY competition is one of a handful in the world that still conducts physical testing days in order to thoroughly evaluate each finalist from top to bottom.
The 2024 jury consists of 28 motoring journalists, including IOL’s Jason Woosey.
The competition, which has been run since 1986, has been sponsored by Old Mutual Insure for the second year in a row. This year the sponsor said it would continue to add value through consumer education awareness and a special emphasis on road safety.
"We are excited to reveal this year's semi-finalists; a diverse set of competitors that are great examples of innovation and excellence in the automotive industry, which is what the competition is all about,” said Garth Napier, MD of Old Mutual Insure.
“We anticipate a highly competitive and thrilling competition this year as the Validation Committee meticulously evaluated each contender," Napier added.
COTY Committee Chairperson Mabuyane Mabuza said:
"The 2024 COTY edition has a competitive line-up across all categories, setting the stage for fierce competition among overall and category winners."