
The South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) today announced the finalists for the 38th annual Car of the Year (COTY) competition.
Having started with a total of 80 different models, the list was cut down to 25 contestants for the semi-finals, which has now been reduced to a group of just 18, all of which were launched in 2023.
The COTY awards have seen a few shake-ups this year, the most notable difference being the loss of the new-energy category which was targeted at hybrids and electric vehicles, as the SAGMJ decided that these types of autos are now common enough to warrant competing in their more familiar categories rather than being kept separate.
Four of the categories – Premium, 4×4 Double Cab, Adventure SUV, and Performance – did not see any changes to their roster from the semi-finals, while the Budget and Compact, Compact Family, Family, and Luxury segments all lost at least one contestant.
This means that five of the eight categories are down to two finalists each, while the Compact Family and Performance tabs still have three and four participants, respectively.
The 4×4 Double Cab label, on the other hand, is already down to one unit – the VW Amarok – as no other models from 2023 qualified for this segment.
Another interesting case is the Ford Ranger Raptor, which is not being evaluated as a double cab, given it is only a derivative of the Ranger that already won the 2023 COTY award.
Instead, its powerful engine has earned it a place in the Performance group – a first for a bakkie – and leaving it in the big leagues with the BMW M2 coupe, the Honda Civic Type R, and the Toyota GR Corolla hot hatches.
These contenders will undergo comprehensive testing by COTY’s expert juror group in early March with the winners to be announced in May, said the SAGMJ.
2024 COTY finalists
The list below details each of the COTY finalists according to their categories, with pricing included.
Click on the underlined prices for more information.
Budget and Compact
Compact Family
Family
Premium
- Lexus NX – R977,700
- Mercedes-Benz GLC – R1,264,991
Luxury
- BMW 7 Series – R2,282,751
- Mercedes-Benz EQS – R2,827,005
4×4 Double Cab
- VW Amarok – R650,500
Adventure SUV
- Lexus LX – R2,517,500
- Mahindra Scorpio N – R477,199
Performance
- BMW M2 – R1,503,975
- Ford Ranger Raptor – R1,184,100
- Honda Civic Type R – R999,900
- Toyota GR Corolla – R849,400
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