The 2018 WesBank South African Car of the Year finalists

Finalists

A 26-member jury voted for the finalists from an original list of 35 eligible vehicle ranges:

• Alfa Romeo Giulia
• Audi Q5
• BMW 5 Series
• Kia Picanto
• Land Rover Discovery
• Peugeot 3008
• Porsche Panamera
• Suzuki Ignis
• Toyota C-HR
• Volvo S90

According to Ghana Msibi, general manager for sales and marketing at Wesbank, “Our relationships with the South African Motoring Guild (SAGMJ), as well as our OEM and dealer partners have been critical to our joint successes, which is why we support and invest in the South African Car Of The Year competition.”

Evaluation days

Preparations now continue for the competition evaluation days that will be held in late January 2018. At these evaluation days – the most critical of which will be the scheduled procedures to be held at a dedicated testing facility – the jury will assess the cars independently, with routes and modules designed to test the vehicles in a similar way in which the average consumer would use them.

The evaluation days offer the jury the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the vehicles on specific criteria including aesthetics, build quality, ergonomics, fuel consumption, environmental friendliness, safety features and value for money. These aspects are not only important with regards to the actual testing, but also to how the public perceives the COTY process, the finalists and, ultimately, the winning car.

The jury will also have access to performance test data, comparative pricing and specification data, as well as comparative parts pricing data, compiled by the guild’s digital partner, Mapo International.

The winner will be revealed at an evening function on 13 March 2018.