SA Car of the Year surprises

Following a national vote by members of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists, 26 jury members have narrowed the finalists down to the Ford Fiesta 1.6 Trend 5-dr, Suzuki Swift 1.5 GLS, Mazda6 2.5 Individual, Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 Premium Luxury A/T, VW Tiguan 1.4TSi Trend&Fun 4Motion, Audi A4 1.8T Ambition Multitronic, Honda Accord 2.4i Executive, Honda Jazz 1.5 EX and Suzuki SX4 2.0 to compete for the top honours in the country's premier motoring event.

The next step in the competition, now in its 24th year, is to determine the winner from a two-day test session to be held end-January at the Gerotek facility near Pretoria, where the cars will be assessed independently by two-man teams of jury members.

The evaluation includes high speed dynamic assessment; an autokhana test to mark manoeuvrability, parking prowess and general ease of control; driving tests under various conditions on track and road, in town and on gravel, all the while taking fuel economy into account.

A static evaluation of each finalist also contributes to the car's score in terms of aesthetics, build quality and ergonomics, while considerations based on perceptions of value for money, cost of a spares' basket, safety features and environmental friendliness contribute to overall points.

The jury marks everything from the car's styling and paint work to the quality of materials used for upholstery and interior plastics, the consistency of shut lines, the ergonomic attributes of arm rests and cup holders, the size and shape of the boot and the accessibility of the spare wheel; head room, leg room and shoulder room as well as passive and active safety features.

Driving comfort, engine performance, gearbox action, braking ability, steering precision, quality of ride, sharp corner handling and high speed stability, the effectiveness of dust and wind seals - even the ease with which the vehicle can be parked in terms of blind spots and overhangs - are assessed.

Then there's value for money to consider:

• What does the vehicle cost to run?
  
• Are parts expensive?
  
• What kind of fuel consumption figures does it return?
  
• How practical is the car?
  
• Is it equipped with all the comfort and user friendly features you would expect at the quoted price?
  
• Is its performance worth the money?
  
• What innovations does it bring to the automotive mainstream?

South Africa's Car of the Year competition - sponsored for the past 24 years by WesBank with additional support this year from Total, Hollard Insurance, Kopanong Hotel and Conference Centre and Garmin - is unique in the world in that the victor is determined not by popular vote as in most countries, but by actual testing of the finalists to determine by what margins they meet criteria for COTY honours.