BMW iX3 crowned World Car of the Year 2026 as EVs lead the way
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
- Industry News
- 2 April 2026
There was plenty of adrenaline-fuelled action and drama at the 14th running of the Simola Hillclimb in Knysna.
The top three quickest cars saw Robert Wolk earn his first King of the Hill title in the Single Seater, Sports Car and Sports Prototypes category, while Dawie Joubert claimed the Modified Saloon Car win for the first time. JP van der Walt entrenched his domination of the Road Car and Supercar category by taking his fourth consecutive title.
There were exciting class battles throughout the field for individual honours, including the new class B10 for modified street-legal cars. The 2024 Simola Hillclimb certainly produced a spectacular show for the fans in attendance, as well as the large number of online enthusiasts watching the livestream from around the world.
The class winners were:
Road Cars and Supercars (provisional results, subject to final confirmation)
Modified Saloon Cars
Single Seater, Sports Car and Sports Prototypes
Spirit of Dave Charlton Award
For the 2024 King of the Hill, the award went to Team Scuderia Scribante, headed by brothers Silvio and Aldo Scribante from Gqeberha.
The BMW iX3 has been named World Car of the Year 2026, with the announcement made at the New York International Auto Show on 1 April.
Retail new vehicle sales continue to surge in South Africa despite global and regional conflicts, local floods and droughts.
South Africa’s new vehicle market delivered a standout performance in March 2026, extending its domestic growth trajectory to the strongest level seen in nearly two decades.