Cars.co.za Consumer Awards semi-finalists announcedThe Cars.co.za Consumer Awards, powered by Wesbank, is entering its second year. Following the success of the inaugural award season, the winners of which were announced on 14 January 2016, the second iteration looks to again recognise the best derivatives on sale in the new vehicle market. Updated awards categoriesThe first phase of the awards programme commenced yesterday with the announcement of 65 semi-finalists in 13 award categories. The award categories have been updated to take into consideration new vehicle sales trends - such as the increased demand for small/compact crossovers, the buying public's preference for SUVs over sedans and MPVs, as well as the introduction of several new and facelifted double-cab bakkies. The judging methodology has also changed to incorporate more expertise (the extended Cars.co.za editorial team), as well as the recruitment of additional guest judges from specialist fields. The votes cast by the collective judges will have a 50% weighting on the final results of the Awards. The Cars.co.za judges:Ashley Oldfield - road test/technical editor The guest judges:Branko Brkic - founder and editor - The Daily Maverick Bigger public impactCritically, the remaining 50% will be based on the findings of the Cars.co.za Ownership Satisfaction Survey, in partnership with data specialists Lightstone Consumer. The brand-specific data incorporates feedback from thousands of South African vehicle owners, based on their experiences of their vehicles (must be less than five years old and serviced through franchised outlets). All vehicles sold as new on - or launched in the market by - 1 September 2016 were in contention to be semi-finalists provided they conformed to their categories' criteria; therefore, not only newly introduced or general model ranges were considered as potential category winners. Theoretically, if a vehicle is the best in its segment, it can win its category throughout the lifecycle of the product. The second phase of the six-month awards programme will see the website's editorial team score the five vehicles in each category, based on predetermined pillars of success, to narrow the field of potential award winners from 65 to 39. Following that, the combined judging panel will evaluate the finalists back to back during a two-day test. The 65 semi-finalistsThe finalists are (in no particular order): Budget Car (less than R160,000) Compact Hatchback (between R160,000 and R250,000) Compact Family Car (between R250,000 and R350,000) Family Car (between R350,000 and R500,000) Performance Car (between R600,000 and R1,000,000) Premium Hatchback (between R350,000 and R500,000) Fun Car (less than R600,000) Lifetyle SUV (between R500,000 and R750,000) Executive Sedan (between R750,000 and R1,000,000) First Class (more than R1,000,000) Leisure Double Cab (more than R450,000) Business Class (between R500,000 and R750,000) Premium SUV (between R750,000 and R1,200,000) More information on the programme, including its categories, judges and finalists is available on the dedicated website. |