The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) has revealed the winners of the 2023 Car of the Year (COTY) competition.
As many as 55 vehicles made it into the qualifying stages this year, which were spread out over a total of 10 different categories.
The categories were as follows:
- Adventure SUV
- Budget
- Compact
- Compact Family
- Double Cab
- Luxury
- Midsize
- New Energy
- Performance
- Premium
Unfortunately, the Budget category was canceled this year because there were no noteworthy contenders, and the Compact segment was removed because the sole finalist – the Renault Clio – did not meet the required percentage to secure a category win.
With all of that out of the way, the official winner of the 2023 South African Car of the Year Award is none other than the next-generation Ford Ranger Double Cab.
This is the first time in the competition’s 37-year run that a leisure double-cab 4×4 has been crowned the victor, said the SAGMJ.
“Over the past decade, the popularity of SUVs and Double Cabs has skyrocketed at the expense of sedans,” said Mabuyane Mabuza, Chairperson of the 2023 COTY Competition.
“Double-cab bakkies have become a common choice for everyday commuting, family adventures, and various work applications, providing a popular solution for South Africans’ mobility demands.”
The Ford Ranger secured the win out of 21 finalists thanks to its “unrivaled performance that seamlessly blends comfort, safety, and cutting-edge technology,” according to the Guild.
In the other segments, the Compact Family category went to BAIC’s Beijing X55 crossover – the first-ever win for a Chinese automaker in South Africa.
Kia actually secured two wins this year, as the stylish new Sportage managed to take home the Midsize title while the Sorento achieved the number one spot in the Premium segment.
The Adventure SUV category was, unsurprisingly, taken by the Ford Everest, which is built upon the same platform as the Ranger, meaning the blue oval also saw two big wins this year.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, meanwhile, can lay claim to two accolades with the Luxury award as well as the Juror’s Excellence Award, which “signifies recognition of exceptional quality and craftsmanship.”
The Performance sector was dominated by the Audi RS3, and the New Energy award was taken by a pure battery-electric vehicle in the form of the Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge.
Finally, the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro was given the Motor Enthusiast Choice Award, which is determined through public voting via a social media campaign driven by Old Mutual Insure.
The juror voting system looks at factors like design, technology, engineering, powertrain, handling, ingenuity, and safety, which then moves to an automated scoring stage done by Lightstone Auto which analyses aspects like sales performance, segment share, and value for money.
The winners
Detailed below are the winners of the 2023 SAGMJ COTY competition.
Click on the underlined names to visit TopAuto Car Prices for information on pricing and new models on offer from the various manufacturers.
Compact Family – BAIC Beijing X55
- Starting price – R420,900
Midsize – Kia Sportage
- Starting price – R573,995
Premium – Kia Sorento
- Starting price – R861,995
Adventure SUV – Ford Everest
- Starting price – R832,400
Double Cab 4×4 – Ford Ranger
- Starting price – R495,800
Luxury – Mercedes-Benz S-Class
- Starting price – R2,435,939
Performance – Audi RS 3
- Starting price – R1,246,600
New-Energy – Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge
- Starting price – R1,260,000
2023 South African Car of the Year – Ford Ranger Double Cab 4×4
- Starting price – R495,800
Join the discussion