Top Gear has announced the winners of its first Award Series in South Africa, handing out a total of 24 accolades spread across multiple categories.
All of the winners, with the exception of the Reader’s Choice Award, were chosen by the Top Gear South Africa team.
Eight of the categories for this year’s show are unique to the local Top Gear, including:
- PR of the Year
- Bargain of the Year
- Fun Car of the Year
- Instant Icon Award
- All the Car You Need
- Driving Academy of the Year
- Motoring Moment of the Year
The judging process is done throughout the year as the TG adjudicators evaluate each car with their own review processes.
The finalists are then selected before another round of evaluation, which determines the winners of each category based on various aspects including performance, ownership, quality, design, and innovation.
“Our Awards are simply about context and experience. We need to have driven the cars in order to evaluate them and that is how they are eligible for nomination,” said Avon Middleton, publishing partner at Top Gear South Africa.
The winners of the industry-related categories are as follows:
- Fleet Manager of the Year – John Mulder
- Manufacturer of the Year – Ford South Africa
- Motoring Personality of the Year – Leyton Fourie
- Driving Academy of the Year – AMG Driving Academy
- Motoring Moment of the Year – Ford’s 100 years in South Africa
- Lifetime Achievement Award – Athol Van Heerden, VW South Africa
- PR of the Year – Christo Kruger: Porsche, Lamborghini, and Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
When asked which award winner stood out the most, the publication said that it was very interesting that all of the finalists in the Reader’s Choice category were from Chinese brands.
“This is a great insight as it shows South Africa’s appetite for cheaper alternatives that still tick the boxes of convenience, safety, and style,” said Lerato Matabese, publishing editor at Top Gear South Africa.
The winners
These are all of the cars that won an award at the 2023 Top Gear Awards in South Africa.
Click on the underlined prices for more information.
1. Hot Hatch of the Year – Honda Civic Type R
- Starting price – R999,900
2. Family SUV of the Year – Kia Sportage
- Starting price – R637,995
3. Hatch of the Year – VW Polo
- Starting price – R348,200
4. Reader’s Choice Award – BAIC Beijing X55
- Starting price – R429,900
5. Supercar of the Year – Porsche 911 GT3 RS
- Starting price – R4,858,000
6. Luxury Car of the Year – Range Rover
- Starting price – R3,246,100
7. Performance Car of the Year – Honda Civic Type R
- Starting price – R999,900
8. Urban Crossover of the Year – BMW X1
- Starting price – R788,045
9. Bakkie of the Year – Ford Ranger Raptor
- Starting price – R1,184,100
10. MPV of the Year – Kia Carnival
- Starting price – R896,995
11. Efficiency Award – Renault Duster
- Starting price – R387,999
12. Bargain of the Year – GWM Ora
- Starting price – R686,950
13. Electric Vehicle of the Year – BMW iX3
- Starting price – R1,361,400
14. Fun Car of the Year – Toyota GR86
- Starting price – R755,500
15. Instant Icon Award – Porsche 911 Dakar
- Starting price – R4,501,000
16. Noise of the Year – Alfa Romeo Stelvio
- Starting price – R1,205,500
17. All the Car You Need – Audi RS6 Avant
- Starting price – R2,332,700
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