By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
The Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
    Auto ShowsShow More
    Maserati enthrals at FuoriConcorso with GT2 Stradale and MCXtrema
    May 14, 2025
    Leapmotor presents its range at Automobile Barcelona, Spain
    May 14, 2025
    Alfa Romeo sporting glory dominates “Fuori Concorso”
    May 13, 2025
    Market Art Fair Stockholm and BMW Sweden present Gregor Hildebrandt as artist for BMW Art Commission 2025
    May 13, 2025
    Driving Trade Forward: AfCFTA, AGOA,BRICS and the Tariffs – All On The Menu At Automechanika CEO Breakfast
    May 9, 2025
  • Bikes
    BikesShow More
    Desmo450 MX: Production of the first Ducati Motocross bike begins
    May 28, 2025
    25YM Honda NC750X
    May 13, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RS
    May 2, 2025
    BMW Motorrad presents the new BMW R 1300 RT
    April 30, 2025
    Honda NC750X Named Winner in 2025 Red Dot Design Award
    April 10, 2025
  • News
    NewsShow More
    Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Nissan production, sales, and exports for April 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Honda Production, Sales and Export Results for April, 2025
    May 29, 2025
    Škoda Auto marks 55 years since production of the Skopak began in Pakistan
    May 29, 2025
  • Concepts
    ConceptsShow More
    FIAT unveils the manifesto Grande Panda 4×4
    May 20, 2025
    Renault 4 Savane 4×4 Concept makes its global debut at Roland-Garros 2025
    May 16, 2025
    Hyundai Motor and Plus Unveil Concept for Autonomous Hydrogen Freight Ecosystem at ACT Expo 202
    May 2, 2025
    Hyundai Motor Unveils the new IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 6 N Line
    April 5, 2025
    Kia and LG Electronics Partner to Showcase New PBV Concepts for Work and Play
    April 4, 2025
  • Interviews
    InterviewsShow More
    Kosmas “Dudie” Mamaloukos – The Formidable Racing Talent
    May 15, 2025
    Hi-Range Safari City
    Hi-Range Safari City – The Premier outfitter for 4×4 customization
    May 15, 2025
    BEHIND THE SCENES: ARCHIE RUTHERFORD ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING THE W2RC TO SOUTH AFRICA
    May 9, 2025
    Europe and China’s automotive future in a shifting global order
    May 5, 2025
    Sourcing Guide Right-Hand Drive American SUVs and Pickup Trucks in Africa
    April 29, 2025
  • EVs
    EVsShow More
    SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
    May 29, 2025
    Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
    May 29, 2025
    All-New Nissan MICRA EV debuts ahead of European launch
    May 28, 2025
    BMW Group and Solid Power are testing all-solid-state battery cells in a BMW i7
    May 20, 2025
    Toyota Debuts Stylish, Powerful 2026 C-HR Battery Electric Vehicle
    May 18, 2025
  • Motosport
    MotosportShow More
    43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
    May 29, 2025
    Lærke Rønn, Alexia Danielsson, Rasmus Vendelbo, Porsche Sprint Challenge Scandinavia, 2025, Porsche AG
    The schoolgirl who’s just won her debut GT race
    May 28, 2025
    Porsche with new qualifying record and ongoing points streak ahead of China
    May 28, 2025
    Nissan Formula E Team looking to reinforce championship lead in Shanghai
    May 28, 2025
    Opel Mokka GSE Rally: A New Star in Electric Rallying
    May 28, 2025
  • Trucks & Buses
    Trucks & BusesShow More
    MAN development team for autonomous driving is ‘Engineering Team of the Year’
    May 29, 2025
    Scania to start deliveries of new electric buses to northern Sweden
    May 29, 2025
    From left to right: Jens Böther, Regional Council; Nikolas Wenzel, Managing Director of MOIN; Claudia Kalisch, Mayor of Lüneburg; Alex Meier, Depot Manager; Nils Richert, Daimler Buses
    Daimler Buses builds a completely new electric bus depot for a customer for the first time
    May 28, 2025
    600 km range and superfast charging – meet Volvo’s new electric truck
    May 20, 2025
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 on a long-haul route of over 1,500 kilometers
    Vandijck Transport tests the eActros 600 
    May 18, 2025
  • Reviews
    ReviewsShow More
    GR Supra pushes performance limits with A90 Final Edition and Lightweight EVO
    May 28, 2025
    The new BMW M2 CS
    May 28, 2025
    Defender upgraded: The unstoppable 4×4 is now even more distinctive 
    May 28, 2025
    From vision to Veyron: the evolution of a Bugatti icon
    May 17, 2025
    The new Mercedes-Maybach SL Monogram Series
    May 13, 2025
  • Tech
    TechShow More
    VNC Automotive Partners with P3 to Enhance the SPARQ OS Platform
    May 29, 2025
    Artificial intelligence: Audi boosts production efficiency
    May 28, 2025
    Greater efficiency and productivity with artificial intelligence – generative AI in BMW Group Purchasing
    May 19, 2025
    Aston Martin debuts Apple CarPlay Ultra for iPhone users
    May 16, 2025
    Mercedes-Benz customers in Germany can now purchase and pay for e-Vignettes directly from their vehicle
    May 15, 2025
Hot News
SEAT S.A. moves towards electric car production in Martorell
Toyota Mobility Foundation announces five finalists for $3 million Venice Sustainable Cities Challenge
43rd Rally Due Valli: Lancia Ignites Verona with a High-Tension Challenge
Polestar 3 wins Best EV SUV and Luxury Car of the Year awards
Mazda Production and Sales Results for April 2025
Latest News

Defender gets power upgrade with introduction of new diesel engine

Latest News

Polestar Q1 retail sales grew by 76% compared to the same quarter last year

Hubert Altschäffl
Trucks & Buses

Hubert Altschäffl to become new Chief Human Resources Officer of MAN Truck & Bus

Latest News

Lamborghini unveils the Urus Performante “Essenza SCV12” Limited Edition

Font ResizerAa
The Auto MagazineThe Auto Magazine
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Search
  • Home
  • Auto Shows
  • Bikes
  • News
  • Concepts
  • Interviews
  • EVs
  • Motosport
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Reviews
  • Tech
Follow US
Crafted by Intellegere Media. © 2024 The Auto Magazine. All rights reserved.
Latest News

How the South African Car of the Year Competition is Judged

Itumeleng Garebatshabe
Last updated: April 14, 2025 17:39
By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
260 Views
6 Min Read
Share
6 Min Read
SHARE

The South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition, sponsored by Old Mutual Insure, is one of the few of its kind in the world, which includes a physical testing component.

It is a rigorous process, as each of the finalists is evaluated over three days through a combination of track- and road-based testing as well as a static evaluation.

- Advertisement -
Ad image

The test days were made possible by OMI’s sponsorship of the event, and following much eager anticipation, the 2025 COTY evaluation process got underway in early March.

“As a brand deeply committed to protecting what matters most, Old Mutual Insure is proud to be part of a platform that celebrates innovation, performance and, most importantly, safety,” says Jerry Anthonyrajah, Chief Commercial Officer at Old Mutual Insure. “COTY 2025 not only showcases the best in automotive excellence but also drives awareness around responsible driving, informed vehicle choices, and cutting-edge safety technology – all of which are vital to shaping a safer motoring future for South Africans.”

Central to the evaluation process were 27 highly experienced jurors selected by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) through a combination of member voting and selection by the COTY committee.

How the test days work

The first day saw jurors arrive at the ‘home base’ of Phahama Lodge in Hennops River Valley, Gauteng, where formalities kicked off with a juror briefing. This was followed by static evaluations of all 17 COTY finalists.

With scorebooks in hand, jurors rated each vehicle on a wide range of aspects, from exterior and interior design and build quality to practicality, user-friendliness of interfaces, sound system quality as well as seat comfort and versatility.

On the second day, each finalist was put through its paces at the Zwartkops raceway. A series of on-track and skidpan-based slaloms and gymkhanas saw each contender’s performance, handling, ride quality, braking and wet weather grip put to the ultimate test. In addition, the 4×4 models were put through a challenging off-road course at the venue.

On the final testing day, the finalists were judged in real-world conditions on a road route in Hennopsriver Valley. This “one last drive” also helped jurors determine the final scores for each contender.

But why compare such a wide variety of cars?

The finalists are not compared directly with each other, and jurors are strictly urged to use each vehicle’s direct rivals as a reference point when scoring.

It is a comprehensive process, as the score sheet for each vehicle contains 32 questions. In addition to the aforementioned static and dynamic aspects, jurors also rate value-for-money, price competitiveness as well as overall levels of innovation, desirability and excellence.

Excellence comes to the fore

The South African Car of the Year competition celebrates excellence and innovation, recognising only the finest new vehicles, with eligibility limited to models launched in the preceding year.

For this reason, the competition is seen as a badge of honour among automotive manufacturers, a sign that they have pushed the boundaries and reset the benchmark in a particular segment, be it the entry-level market or the luxury car realm.

A closer look at the categories

The overall winner’s award is highly coveted in the industry, but the competition also announces category victors to recognise excellence within specific market segments.

To that end, the 2025 COTY competition encompasses six categories, covering the most essential segments of the market. The categories are: Budget, Family, Premium, Executive, Adventure Utility and Performance.

Competitors in each category are highlighted below.

BUDGET

GAC GS3 Enzoom

Mahindra XUV 3X0

Suzuki Swift

FAMILY

Mini Countryman

Jaecoo J7

Volkswagen Tiguan

PREMIUM

BMW X3

Omoda C9

Volvo EX30

EXECUTIVE

BMW 5 Series

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

ADVENTURE UTILITY

GWM P500

Mitsubishi Triton

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

PERFORMANCE

BMW M5

Ford Mustang GT

Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance

Value for money and sales performance

Value for money, a key competition criterion, will undergo further analysis in a follow-up study by Lightstone Automotive. As COTY’s automotive data partner, Lightstone Automotive supplies data like average monthly sales volumes per product and market segment, and specification-adjusted competitor pricing to complete the scoring process. An officially appointed audit company formally audits the jury’s results.

Category wins are not guaranteed

Each of these categories is well represented this year, showing the vast spectrum of new entrants to the market, catering to a wide variety of motoring needs. Simply being named as a finalist is an outstanding achievement for each of these vehicles and one that the manufacturers widely celebrate.

However, winning a category award is no easy feat, and even the highest scorers within each category are not guaranteed a prize, as a particular scoring threshold needs to be surpassed.

Members of the public also get to have their say in the 2025 COTY competition, thanks to a ‘Motor Enthusiast’ award, which online votes will determine. To vote in this competition, visit https://ominsurecoty.co.za/voting-2025/.

The winners of the 2025 COTY competition will be announced in early May.

TAGGED:Old Mutual InsureSouth African Car of the Year

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Stay Updated! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn VKontakte Telegram Email Copy Link Print
Share
ByItumeleng Garebatshabe
Editor
Follow:
Itumeleng is the Managing Editor of The Auto Magazine. He is a tech and car enthusiast

Follow US

FacebookLike
XFollow
InstagramFollow
YoutubeSubscribe
TiktokFollow
TelegramFollow
Google NewsFollow
LinkedInFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad imageAd image

You Might Also Like

Latest News

Old Mutual Insure powers SA’s most respected car competition second year in a row

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
December 12, 2023
Latest News

FORD RANGER THE FIRST BAKKIE TO WIN SOUTH AFRICA CAR OF THE YEAR COMPETITION

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
June 8, 2023
Latest News

Old Mutual Insure 2024 Car of the Year Semi-Finalists Revealed

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
December 20, 2023
Latest News

Old Mutual Insure 2024 Car of The Year Finalists Announced

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
February 9, 2024
Latest News

A NEW ERA OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE 2024 SAGMJ COTY JURY

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
January 10, 2024
Latest News

SAGMJ ANNOUNCES 2025 CAR OF THE YEAR SEMI-FINALISTS

By Itumeleng Garebatshabe
December 11, 2024

The Auto Magazine

  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy
  • Bikes
  • Electric Vehicles
  • Trucks & Buses
  • Auto Shows
  • Latest News
  • Motosport

Made by Intellegere Media. All rights reserved. 2023

Don't not sell my personal information
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc.

Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner