The fourteen 2023/24 #CarsAwards trophy recipients:

• Entry-level Hatch: Suzuki Swift 1.2 GLX (Runners up: Suzuki Celerio 1.0 GL, Renault Kiger 1.0 Zen).
• Budget Hatch: Suzuki Baleno 1.5 GLX (Runners up: Toyota Starlet 1.5 XR, Renault Clio 1.0 Turbo Zen).
• Compact Hatch: Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI 85kW R-Line (Runners up: Honda Fit 1.5 Elegance, Opel Corsa 1.2T Elegance).
• Entry-level Crossover: Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GLX (Runners up: Haval Jolion 1.5T Premium Auto, Chery Tiggo 4 Pro 1.5 Elite Auto).
• Compact Family Car: Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 XR (Runners up: Haval Jolion S Super Luxury, Renault Duster 1.5dCi Intens).
• Family Car: Kia Sportage 1.6CRDi EX (Runners up: Haval H6 1.5T HEV Ultra Luxury, Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0TGDi 390 Executive).
• Premium Crossover: BMW X1 sDrive18d M Sport (Runners up: Volvo XC40 B4 Ultimate Dark, Audi Q3 Sportback 40TFSI quattro S Line).
• Executive SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLC220d 4Matic Avantgarde (Runners up: BMW X3 xDrive20d M Sport, Lexus NX 350h F Sport).
• Premium SUV: BMW iX xDrive40 (Runners up: BMW X5 xDrive30d M Sport, Land Rover Defender 110 D250 SE County).
• Adventure SUV: Ford Everest 3.0 V6 Wildtrak (Runners up: Toyota Fortuner 2.8GD-6 4x4 VX, Isuzu MU-X 3.0TD Onyx 4x4).
• Performance Car: Toyota GR Yaris Rally (Runners up: Toyota GR Corolla Circuit, Honda Civic Type R).
• Leisure Double Cab: Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 EcoBoost Raptor 4WD (Runners up: Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 Wildtrak 4WD, VW Amarok 3.0 TDI V6 Aventura 4Motion).
• Electric Vehicle: BMW iX1 xDrive30 M Sport (Runners up: Volvo XC40 Twin Motor Ultimate, GWM Ora 03 Super Lux).
• Brand of the Year: Toyota/Lexus (Runners up: Suzuki, BMW/Mini).

BMW and Suzuki took the most category wins (3 apiece) in the 2023/24 #CarsAwards. BMW has the second most category wins in #CarsAwards history (12), followed by Toyota (11) and Suzuki (10), but Volkswagen (20) comfortably leads the #CarsAwards category trophies tally.

By winning the Brand of the Year consecutively, Toyota now leads the total #CarsAwards Brand of the Year wins tally with four trophies, followed by Suzuki (2) and Volkswagen (1).

Cars.co.za Managing Director Amasi Mwela announced the return of the #CarsAwards programme last year, which was paused in 2021. As before, vehicles will be judged against their peers in distinct categories, of which each has its own requirements. What’s more, 50% of the final scores will be based on brand-specific data incorporating direct feedback from South African car owners.

“The #CarsAwards underlines our commitment to helping our users understand the best way to spend their hard-earned rands when purchasing new vehicles,” Amasi says. “As new-car prices escalate, it emphasises the need to make educated and informed buying decisions. The Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, sponsored by Absa and galvanised by the endorsement from naamsa, allows Cars.co.za to take a leadership position in our industry.

“Partnering with the Cars.co.za Consumer Awards strongly resonates with our objective of endorsing innovative initiatives that bridge the gap between consumers, trusted dealers and manufacturers,” says Charl Potgieter, Managing Executive of Absa Vehicle and Asset Finance.

“This highly respected awards programme is not just about celebrating the automotive industry’s finest, it’s about strengthening the dynamic space in which the industry operates,” he adds.

“We continue to work very closely with all our partners to take the South African automotive industry to greater heights,” says naamsa Chief Executive Officer Mikel Mabasa.

“Business leaders and organisations involved in the motor industry can play a progressive role in turning the negative sentiment in the automotive market into positivity. (Naamsa believes that) the #CarsAwards represents a number of things that should be going right in the country.