Wheels are turning for SA’s best ride
The evaluation days for the 2019 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition have wrapped up and the process is one step closer to revealing which vehicle will win South Africa’s most sought-after automotive title.
The two evaluation days took place at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and around the Velmore Hotel near Pretoria on March 11 and 12.
The testing programme began with the 23 highly qualified jury members – all members of competition organisers the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) – heading for the racetrack, where five technical and revealing test modules were completed.
The first module – track testing – saw the jurors test the finalists at high speed around the Kyalami racetrack.
The second – an emergency brake test and slalom exercise – shed light on the braking and handling capabilities of the 12 finalists.
The third – a skidpan exercise – also tested the vehicles’ handling capabilities while the fourth – a lap around the Kyalami handling track – also put handling and road manners under the spotlight.
The final module – a demanding off-road track – tested the off-road prowess of those finalists with 4x4 capabilities (the Porsche Cayenne, Suzuki Jimny, Volvo XC40 and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport).
Day two was dedicated to road driving and static evaluation, with jurors scrutinising the vehicles inside and out.
According to 2019 COTY convenor Carl Wepener, there are 11 voting elements.
“We evaluate the exterior design; interior; technology; engine; transmission; engineering integrity, build quality and noise levels; ride, handling and brakes; driver assistance and safety systems; overall excellence; affordability/value for money; and sales figures,” he said.
Once all the evaluation exercises were concluded, the 23 jury members had to score each vehicle in 51 different areas covering the 11 voting ele-
‘The winning car will represent innovation and ingenuity, while setting new benchmarks in its market segment
ments itemised above. This is done for each and every finalist, meaning jurors have to generate 612 individual scores.
According to AutoTrader CEO George Mienie, the judging process is one of the most comprehensive and thorough in the world.
“The AutoTrader South African Car of the Year is the benchmark automotive accolade in SA. The winning car will represent innovation and ingenuity, while setting new benchmarks in its market segment,” Mienie said.
“I chatted to many of the jurors over the two evaluation days, and the competition is wide open this year. Right now there is no clear winner.
“Whichever vehicle wins, it will be a big surprise!”
The overall winner, as well as category winners, will be announced at a banquet hosted by AutoTrader and the SAGMJ on April 4.