Our rating: 9

BMW 5 SERIES

With an impeccable heritage and reputation, the BMW 5 Series has always been a strong contender in any competition, and the latest range is no exception. It is an excellent luxury vehicle, with advanced tech and top-notch driver assistance programmes. It handles flawlessly for a big sedan and is an accomplished long-distance cruiser. It is superb in all respects, and for sure a strong contender. Pricing for the 5 Series ranges from R750,000 to R1 million.

KIA PICANTO

It is cute, offers great value for money, and performs admirably for a small city car – and its predecessor should have, in all fairness, won the coveted title already. The latest Picanto performed better than expected in all the aspects of our tests, and now also has more connectivity and luggage space than before. Priced from R135,000 to just under R200,000, it is affordable as well. A strong little contender.

Our rating: 8 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY

Big off-road oriented SUVS generally don’t do well in the SA COTY competition, mostly because of the less than ideal onroad and track performance. However, this Disco perfectly combines off-road prowess and limo-like ride characteristics on the open road. It is a hugely comfortable road trip cruiser. Still, its softer looks are polarising, with some yearning for the more hard-core lines of its predecessor. It deserves its finalist spot, but with prices from R700,000 to well over R2 million, it isn’t exactly cheap.

Our rating: 7 PEUGEOT 3008

The surprise of the bunch. The 3008’s exterior and interior styling is exquisite, the cabin layout innovative and well thought through, albeit somewhat quirky, and dynamically this Peugeot can hold its own against much more sporty cars. It has a sense of style and flair no other crossover has, and combines this with practicality and advanced technology. It won the 2017 European Car of theyear title, among other awards, so it must be a strong contender.

Our rating: 9