Now in its eighth iteration, the CarsAwards (or #CarsAwards, on social media) is South Africa’s most comprehensive and authoritative motoring awards programme that annually recognises the best purchasing propositions in 13 respective segments of the local new-vehicle market.

The 2024/25 Cars.co.za Awards marks the second consecutive year that the programme is sponsored by Absa and endorsed by The Automotive Business Council of South Africa (naamsa) – the organiser of SA Autoweek, which took place in Cape Town.

“The consumer is at the forefront of our business, and we measure the success of our awards programme by its potential to positively impact consumer behaviour,” says Cars.co.za’s Hannes Oosthuizen, who has been the head of the CarsAwards project since its inception in 2015.

“This year’s categories reflect that, especially in Best Budget Car where the finalists we’ve chosen represent particularly strong value propositions with commendable safety specifications.

“Another example is the new category for automatic, four-wheel-drive double cabs under R750 000. South Africans love double cabs, and the finalists in Best Leisure Double Cab (as opposed to Ultimate Double Cab) are variants that many prospective new-bakkie buyers aspire to own.”

These 39 finalist vehicles (three per category) were selected by the extended Cars.co.za editorial team from a list of 65 semi-finalists. Team members evaluated the semi-finalists individually, based on the categories’ respective "Filters of Eligibility" and "Pillars of Success".

To ensure that the CarsAwards best represents the local new-car market when the winners are announced in early 2025, two models that were launched and made available for evaluation between 1 September and the time of finalist selection were included as wildcards.

“Importantly, consumers have just as much say in which vehicles are named category winners as our judges,” Hannes adds. “They can participate in the CarsAwards by telling us about their experiences with the vehicle/s they own, especially with regard to after-sales service. Data collection (in partnership with Lightstone Consumer) is a vital aspect of the programme.”

Best Budget Car (under R300 000):

• Hyundai Exter 1.2 Executive
• Mahindra XUV 3XO 1.2T MX3
• Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX

Best Compact Hatch (R300 000 to R500 000):

• Honda Fit 1.5 Elegance Auto
• Suzuki Baleno 1.5 GLX Auto
• Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI 85kW R-Line Auto

Best Budget Crossover (R300 000 to R400 000):

• Kia Sonet 1.5 LX Auto
• Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX Auto
• Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR Auto

Best Compact Family Car (R600 000 to R800 000):

• Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX+
• Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Hybrid XR
• Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI R-Line

Family Car (R600 000 to R800 000):

• Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0TGDi 390T Executive AWD
• Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi GT Line Plus
• Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 TSI R-Line

Premium Crossover (R700 000 to R1m):

• BMW X2 sDrive18i M Sport
• Mini Countryman S ALL4
• Volvo XC40 B4 Ultimate Dark

Executive SUV (R1m to R1.3m):

• BMW X3 30e xDrive M Sport
• Lexus NX 450h+ F Sport
• Mercedes-Benz GLC300d 4Matic

Best Premium SUV (R1m to R1.5m):

• BMW X5 xDrive30d M Sport
• Lexus RX 500h F Sport
• Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d 4Matic

Best Adventure SUV:

• Ford Everest 3.0TD V6 4WD Wildtrak
• Land Rover Defender 110 D350 X-Dynamic HSE
• Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2.8GD VX-R

Best Leisure Double Cab (under R750 000):

• Ford Ranger 2.0SiT XLT 4x4 Auto
• Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD LS 4x4 Auto
• Toyota Hilux 2.4GD-6 Raider 4x4 Auto

Ultimate Double Cab (above R750 000):

• Ford Ranger 3.0T V6 Raptor 4WD
• Ineos Grenadier 3.0T Quartermaster Trialmaster Edition
• Toyota Hilux GD-6 4x4 GR-Sport

Performance Car (under R2 million):

• Audi RS3 Sportback quattro
• BMW M2 Auto
• Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4Matic

Best EV (under R1.3 million):

• BMW iX1 xDrive30 M Sport
• Mini Countryman SE ALL4
• Volvo EX30 Plus Twin Motor Performance

During the next phase of the 2024/25 CarsAwards, each of the 39 finalists (three per category) will be subjected to back-to-back testing at the renowned Gerotek proving ground in Gauteng by the combined judging panel (the Cars.co.za editorial team members and respected guest judges from various backgrounds and fields of expertise) on 4 and 5 November 2024.

As with previous iterations of the CarsAwards, the 19 judges’ scores for each of the 39 finalists will only count for 50% of the final standings. The other 50% will be based on rankings that the finalist vehicles’ respective brands achieved in the Cars.co.za Ownership Satisfaction Survey. The data incorporates feedback from thousands of vehicle owners, based on their experiences of their vehicles (less than four years old and serviced through franchised outlets).