Now in its sixth iteration, #CarsAwards annually recognises the best purchasing propositions in 13 respective segments of the domestic new-vehicle market and is widely acknowledged as South Africa’s definitive automotive awards programme.

With the support of WesBank, #CarsAwards has grown in reach, influence and stature. The theme for this year’s programme is “Be Part of the Journey – My Car, My Freedom”.

The 13 category winners will be selected from the list of 39 vehicles, including model derivatives from no fewer than 19 brands represented locally. All vehicles available on the 1^st of October 2020 were eligible, not only new products, which launched during the past 12 months.

The 39 finalists were selected by the extended Cars.co.za editorial team; each member scored the 65 pre-selected semi-finalists individually, based on the "Filters of Eligibility" and the "Pillars of Success" of the 13 respective categories.

Compared to the preceding #CarsAwards, Performance Car and Fun Hatch have been replaced with new and more relevant categories: Entry-Level and Premium Crossover.

“We made some revisions to the categories to make sure that they are in line with what South Africans are shopping for in the new-vehicle market, but also factored in which segments had seen significant activity in terms of new launches,” says Cars.co.za Consumer Experience Manager, Hannes Oosthuizen.

Entry Level: Hyundai Atos 1.1 Motion, Suzuki S-Presso 1.0 S-Edition and Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL.

Budget Car: Suzuki Baleno 1.4 GLX, Suzuki Ignis 1.2 GLX and Toyota Starlet 1.4 XR.

Compact Hatch: Ford Fiesta 1.0T Trend auto, Suzuki Swift 1.4T Sport auto and Volkswagen Polo 1.0 TSI Comfortline auto.

Compact Family Car: Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX+, Renault Duster 1.5 dCi Prestige and Volkswagen T-Cross 1.5 TSI 110kW R-Line.

Family Car: Citroën C5 Aircross 1.6T Shine, Mazda CX-5 2.0 Dynamic auto and Toyota RAV4 2.0 AWD GX-R

Adventure SUV: Ford Everest 2.0 Bi-Turbo 4WD XLT, Isuzu M-UX 3.0 4WD and Toyota Fortuner 2.8 GD-6 4x4 VX Auto.

Executive SUV: BMW X3 xDrive20d M-Sport, Range Rover Evoque P250 R-Dynamic SE and Volvo XC60 D5 R-Design.

Premium SUV: BMW X5 xDrive30d M Sport, Land Rover Defender D240 HSE and Volvo XC90 T8 Twin-Engine R-Design.

Crossover: Mazda CX-3 2.0 Individual Plus, Subaru XV 2.0i-S ES and Toyota C-HR 1.2T Luxury.

Premium Crossover: Audi Q3 Sportback 40 TFSI quattro S Line, Mini Countryman Cooper S and Volvo XC40 T5 AWD R-Design.

Hot Hatch: Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i30 N and Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR.

Leisure Double-Cab: Ford Ranger 2.0 Bi-Turbo 4x4 Wildtrak, Toyota Hilux 2.8 GD-6 4x4 Legend Auto and Volkswagen Amarok 2.0BiTDI Highline Plus 4Motion.

Sport Executive: Audi A4 40 TFSI Sport S Line, BMW 330is Edition and Mercedes-Benz C300 AMG Line.

Each of the three finalists per category will now be subjected to back-to-back testing at the renowned Gerotek proving ground in Gauteng by the combined judging panel (the 6 Cars.co.za editorial team members and 14 respected guest judges from various backgrounds and fields of expertise) on 3 and 4 November 2020.

However, the 20 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 respective vehicle brands represented by the finalists achieved in the Cars.co.za Ownership Satisfaction Survey, conducted in partnership with data specialists, Lightstone Consumer.

The data incorporates feedback from thousands of vehicle owners, based on their experiences of their vehicles (less than five years old and serviced through franchised outlets). The survey also represents a golden opportunity for owners to have a say in the outcome of the 2020/21 #CarsAwards. You can take the survey on the CarsAwars.co.za website.