With the test days of the 21 finalists for the title of South Africa’s car of the Year done, all eyes are now on the awards ceremony in June when the winners will be announced.
The tests by the 27 jurors took place at the Zwartkops Raceway and surrounding areas.
During the evaluation days, different tests were conducted to review aspects such as the vehicles' design and engineering, technology, powertrain, practicality, safety, ride and handling, value for money and overall excellence and ingenuity. Value for money, an important criterion, will be further scrutinised in a follow-up study conducted by Lightstone Automotive.
“The test days are always the most exciting part of the COTY competition," said Mabuyane Mabuza, Chairperson of the 2023 COTY Committee. "It is a time when the top journalists in the country come together to review the different cars and share their expert opinions about all the competitors to find the category and overall competition winners.”
Following the test days, the individual juror scores are tallied and combined to form the raw scoring, after which the automated scoring process starts, which includes Lightstone Automotive's involvement. The company is COTY's automotive intelligence partner supplying data, such as average monthly sales volumes per product and market segment and specification-adjusted competitor pricing, to complete the scoring process. Finally, the results are formally audited.
“Our jury worked tirelessly to find the winners of this year's competition,” Mabuyane concluded. "The test days allowed the jurors to immerse themselves in everything the finalists had to offer, contributing to the tough decision of who will be crowned the COTY 2023 winner. This year's COTY winners will be announced on the 1st of June."
JLR reports growing demand for plug-in hybrid models, with global retail sales for the first half of the financial year up 29% compared to the prior year, as more customers use the technology as a stepping stone towards battery electric vehicles (BEV).
Zero Carbon Charge (CHARGE) called on the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, to announce measures in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) to ensure that a transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs) will result in the reduction of carbon emissions in the country.
The ratio of used to new vehicles financed increased in the second quarter of this year, indicating a growing consumer preference for used vehicles, according to TransUnion 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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The ratio of used to new vehicles financed increased in the second quarter of this year, indicating a growing consumer preference for used vehicles, according to TransUnion South Africa.
October is Transport Month in South Africa and a time to focus on how important a role the sector plays in shaping our country’s economy and how to improve it.
The National Automobile Dealers’ Association (NADA) acknowledges the Competition Commission of South Africa’s (CCSA) revised Automotive Aftermarket Guidelines, published at the end of September 2024.
