The team looks at the new AARTO driver demerit system. They also check out the Car of the Year (COTY) 2018 semi-finalists, plus the 2017 Pirelli SA Bike of the Year. And in the tech feature – five of the most innovative self-driving and electric car designs revealed at Frankfurt Motor Show.
2018 WesBank South African Car of the Year Finalists announced
Bryanston, Johannesburg – The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) is proud to announce the finalist vehicle ranges for the 2018 WesBank South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition.
Announced by Master of Ceremonies, Derek Watts, during an interactive reveal event hosted by WesBank at the Bryanston Country Club, the finalists represent the robust relationship between the South African motor industry, the SAGMJ, and the COTY competition’s headline sponsor.
According to Ghana Msibi, General Manager for Sales and Marketing at WesBank, “Our relationships with the SAGMJ, as well as our OEM and dealer partners have been critical to our joint successes, which is why we support and invest in the South African Car Of The Year competition. I would like to thank the SAGMJ and the judging panel for all the hard work as they prepared for the unveiling of the ten finalists.”
The finalist reveal follows a vote cast by a 26-member Jury, from an original list of 35 eligible vehicle ranges. They are, in alphabetical order:
ALFA ROMEO GIULIA
AUDI Q5
BMW 5 SERIES
KIA PICANTO
LAND ROVER DISCOVERY
PEUGEOT 3008
PORSCHE PANAMERA
SUZUKI IGNIS
TOYOTA C-HR
VOLVO S90
Preparations now continue for the COTY evaluation days that will be held in late January 2018. At these evaluation days – the most critical of which will be the scheduled procedures to be held at a dedicated testing facility – the COTY Jury will assess the cars independently, with routes and modules designed to test the vehicles in a similar way in which the average consumer would use them.
The evaluation days offer the Jury the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the vehicles on specific criteria including aesthetics, build quality, ergonomics, fuel consumption, environmental friendliness, safety features and value for money. These aspects are not only important with regards to the actual testing, but also to how the public perceives the COTY process, the finalists and ultimately the winning car. “We’ve seen many of these finalists performing well in our search volumes, with more than half appearing in our top 200 most searched for makes. It will be interesting to see who the judges choose as the winner.” Says George Mienie, AutoTrader CEO.
The Jury will also have access to performance test data, comparative pricing and specification data, as well as comparative parts pricing data, compiled by the Guild’s digital partner, MAPO International. “As sponsor and digital partner, the MAPO team is looking forward to engaging with Jurors and OEM representatives respectively, and will always offer our full support and continued commitment to the motor industry and this prestigious event.” Says Gerhard Coetzer, the organisation’s Managing Director.
While all finalist vehicles represent examples of outstanding automotive engineering, there can be only one winner, and after careful deliberation by the COTY Jury, the vehicle range that best represents automotive excellence when compared to its segment peers, will be crowned the 2018 WesBank South African Car of the Year.
The winner will be revealed at an evening function on 13 March 2018.
The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists has run the SA Car of the Year competition since 1986, with WesBank – one of South Africa’s largest vehicle finance institutions – as its headline sponsor since inception. AutoTrader and MAPO supply support sponsorship.