The Jetour T2, one of seven Chinese brands and 18 vehicles competing, won this year’s title as South Africa’s Car of the Year.
This marks the first-ever victory for a Chinese brand in the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) annual competition. The Jetour T2, also claimed victory in the Mild Adventure category where it outperformed the Hyundai Santa Fe, a mid-size hybrid SUV with futuristic styling, as well as two Chinese rivals, the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid bakkie and the GWM Haval H7 hybrid SUV.
The Jetour T2 was joined by another Chinese winner, the Omoda C7, which claimed victory in the Family (on-road) category. The C7 outperformed fellow Chinese rivals, the Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV and Leapmotor C10 REEV, as well as the Opel Grandland and Volkswagen Tayron, to secure top honours in the category.
In the Compact category, the Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI claimed the category win. The premium hatchback impressed jurors with its balance of turbocharged performance and fuel efficiency, beating the Alfa Romeo Junior, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe and the BYD Dolphin Surf.
The Adventure category featured two hardcore and luxurious contenders competing for the category win: the Land Rover Defender OCTA, a hyper-performance SUV with advanced technology and sportscar performance, and the Lexus GX, a rugged body-on-frame off-roader focused on durability and mechanical capability. The Land Rover Defender OCTA ultimately claimed victory.
The luxurious Volvo EX90, a large battery-electric SUV focused on family safety and sustainable technology, was the only fully electric entry in the Premium category among the four competitors. It faced the Hyundai Santa Fe, which also competed in the Mild Adventure category and the rugged Lexus GX, which also competed in the Adventure category. The Audi A5, with its sleek silhouette, fully digitalised cabin, and premium build quality, emerged as the category winner.
The Performance category featured the Audi RS Q8, Land Rover Defender OCTA (also an Adventure category contender), and Alfa Romeo Junior (also a Compact category entrant) competing for the top accolade. Audi's flagship super-SUV, the RS Q8 with its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8, ultimately secured the category laureate.
"Congratulations to all the winners of the 40th edition of the 2026 COTY competition," says Thami Masemola, SA COTY Chairperson. "In this landmark year, your victories are especially meaningful to us. Your excellence will be recorded in the archives of the annual competition, where only the best of the best has been recognised since 1986, when the competition was first held."
The Chery Tiggo 7 was crowned winner of the 2026 Old Mutual Insure Car of the Year Motor Enthusiast "People's Choice" Award. Voted for by the public, it is a firm favourite in the market, admired for its striking design, feature-rich interior, strong value proposition and extensive equipment included in its retail price, offering outstanding value for money.
Mabuyane Mabuza, Chairperson of the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ), congratulated all winners and entrants of the 2026 COTY competition, highlighting the honour of support from South African automotive brands over 40 years. She noted the COTY competition's role as a benchmark for automotive awards in South Africa.
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You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
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