2024 South African Car of the Year semi-finalists revealed – With pricing

The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) has announced the semi-finalists of its 38th annual Car of the Year (COTY) competition.

The list includes 25 models sorted into eight individual categories, out of a total of 80 vehicles that underwent evaluation, all of which were launched in the past year.

Due to the rise in prominence of hybrid and electric vehicles in South Africa in 2023, the SAGMJ has elected to abandon the “new-energy vehicle” category for this year’s competition and instead position these low-emission vehicles into their traditional segments – for example, the electric GWM Ora 03 now being in the “Family” and the Mercedes-Benz EQE in the “Luxury” categories.

An interesting rivalry to keep an eye on this year is the budget-focused Mahindra Scorpio N that is battling it out with the high-end Lexus LX in the “Adventure SUV” category, the latter of which is five times the price of the former.

Another noteworthy development is the fact that the VW Amarok is the sole contender in the “4×4 Double Cab” category as there were no other vehicles of this kind introduced to our market last year.

Additionally, since the Ford Ranger Raptor is only a new derivative of the Ranger family and not an entirely new model range it now competes in the “Performance” category, said the SAGMJ, pinning the double cab against high-performance coupes and hatchbacks that are a fraction of its size.

“The calibre of the 2024 COTY semi-finalists is truly impressive, reflecting the industry’s commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering outstanding vehicles,” said Garth Napier, MD of COTY  sponsor Old Mutual Insure.

“We anticipate a highly competitive and thrilling competition this year as the Validation Committee meticulously evaluates each contender.”

2024 COTY semi-finalists

The semi-finalists of the 2024 COTY competition, along with their starting prices, are detailed below in their respective categories.

The finalists will be revealed before the end of January 2024 with the winners to be announced in May, said the SAGMJ.

Click on the underlined prices for more information.

Budget and Compact

• Citroen C3 – R229,900
• Suzuki Fronx – R288,900
• Toyota Vitz – R189,900

Compact Family

• Omoda C5 – R447,900
• Renault Captur – R489,999
• Suzuki Grand Vitara – R347,900
• Toyota Urban Cruiser – R341,000

Family

• BMW X1 – R788,045
• GWM Ora 03 – R686,950
• Mazda CX-60 – R739,800
• Nissan X-Trail – R672,900
• Mitsubishi Outlander – R759,995

Premium

• Lexus NX – R977,700
• Mercedes-Benz GLC – R1,227,270

Luxury

• BMW 7 Series – R2,282,751
• BMW XM – R3,400,000
• Mercedes-Benz EQE – R1,724,650
• Mercedes-Benz EQS – R2,668,655

4×4 Double Cab

• VW Amarok – R599,000

Adventure SUV

• Lexus LX – R2,517,500
• Mahindra Scorpio N – R473,999

Performance

• BMW M2 – R1,503,975
• Ford Ranger Raptor – R1,184,100
• Honda Civic Type R – R999,900
• Toyota GR Corolla – R849,400