Best-performing car brands of the year revealed in first-ever South African motoring competition

Naamsa has launched its first-ever Accelerator Awards that aim to “recognize and acknowledge” the best-performing brands, manufacturers, and dealerships across the entire auto value chain in South Africa.

The awards are split into three categories comprising new vehicle sales, manufacturing, and dealership achievements, with a variety of subcategories in each.

The organisation uses its fact-based new vehicle sales data and various other subsets of information reported to it on a monthly basis to “remove subjectivity” in the process of deciding and announcing the best performers.

Naamsa works with 41 major companies all with operations inside South Africa’s borders across the passenger, light, and heavy commercial vehicle segments, as well as major importers and distributors of new autos.

“Our production, exports, imports, and new vehicle sales data is reliably used by many reputable local and international organisations each month to aid them with their own decision-making,” said Mikel Mabasa, Naamsa CEO.

Finalists

Detailed below are all the finalists in the various categories for the 2022 Accelerator Awards as provided by Naamsa.

The winners of each segment will be announced on Friday, 28 October 2022 on the final day of the inaugural South African Auto Week.

New vehicle sales

Passenger Car of the Year

• Cabriolet/Coupe – BMW 4 Series
• Crossover/SUV – Toyota Urban Cruiser
• Estate/Minibus/MPV – Toyota Rumion
• Hatchback – VW Polo Vivo
• Sedan – VW Polo Sedan

Passenger Car Newcomer of the Year

• Cabriolet/Coupe – Ferrari SF90
• Crossover/SUV – Haval Jolion
• Estate/Minibus/MPV – Mitsubishi Xpander
• Hatchback – Toyota Starlet
• Sedan – Kia Pegas

Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year

• Above one-ton d-cab – Toyota Hilux
• Minibus/Panel van – Toyota Hiace
• Other one-ton – Toyota Hilux
• Sub one-ton – Nissan NP200

Light Commercial Vehicle Newcomer of the Year

• Above one-ton d-cab – GWM P-Series
• Minibus/Panel van – Hyundai Staria
• Other one-ton – Nissan Navara

Other Commercial Vehicle of the Year

• Bus – Man Bus
• Medium – Isuzu N-Series
• Heavy – Isuzu F-Series
• Extra-heavy – Volvo FH

Other Commercial Vehicle Newcomer of the Year

• Medium – Toyota Coaster
• Heavy – Eicher Pro 6018
• Extra-heavy – Iveco S-Way

New Energy Vehicle of the Year

• Battery-electric vehicles – Mini Hatch / BMW iX / Volvo XC40
• Plug-in hybrid vehicles – Ferrari SF90 / Volvo XC60 / Volvo XC90

Manufacturing

Top Locally Manufactured Car of the Year

• Toyota Hilux
• VW Polo
• VW Polo Vivo

Top Imported Car of the Year

• Suzuki Swift
• Toyota Starlet
• Toyota Urban Cruiser

Top Exported Car of the Year

• BMW X3
• Toyota Hilux
• VW Polo

Dealership

Top Passenger Dealer of the Year

• Durban South Toyota
• Halfway Toyota Fourways
• Hatfield VW Pretoria

Top Light Commercial Dealer of the Year

• Halfway Toyota Fourways
• Halfway Toyota Honeydew Randburg
• Pat Hinde Boksburg

Top Commercial Dealer of the Year

• FAW Greater Johannesburg
• Man Truck and Bus Centre Centurion
• Volvo Trucks Pinetown

Most-improved Passenger Dealer of the Year

• Ceres Toyota
• Fury Toyota Randburg
• Halfway Toyota Fourways

Most-improved Light Commercial Dealer of the Year

• Eastvaal Auto Bethal
• Haval Umhlanga
• Haval Windhoek

Most-improved Commercial Dealer of the Year

• Hino Kuilsrivier
• Man Hatfield/Zambezi Truck and Bus
• UD Trucks Cape Town