THE South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition, sponsored by Old Mutual Insure, is one of the few of its kind in the world, which includes a physical testing component.
It is a rigorous process, as each of the finalists is evaluated over three days through a combination of track- and road-based testing as well as a static evaluation.
The test days were made possible by OMI’s sponsorship of the event, and following much eager anticipation, the 2025 COTY evaluation process got underway in early March.
“As a brand deeply committed to protecting what matters most, Old Mutual Insure is proud to be part of a platform that celebrates innovation, performance and, most importantly, safety,” says Jerry Anthonyrajah, Chief Commercial Officer at Old Mutual Insure.
“COTY 2025 not only showcases the best in automotive excellence but also drives awareness around responsible driving, informed vehicle choices, and cutting-edge safety technology – all of which are vital to shaping a safer motoring future for South Africans.”
Central to the evaluation process were 27 highly experienced jurors selected by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) through a combination of member voting and selection by the COTY committee.
How the test days work
The first day saw jurors arrive at the ‘home base’ of Phahama Lodge in Hennops River Valley, Gauteng, where formalities kicked off with a juror briefing. This was followed by static evaluations of all 17 COTY finalists.
With scorebooks in hand, jurors rated each vehicle on a wide range of aspects, from exterior and interior design and build quality to practicality, user-friendliness of interfaces, sound system quality as well as seat comfort and versatility.
On the second day, each finalist was put through its paces at the Zwartkops raceway. A series of on-track and skidpan-based slaloms and gymkhanas saw each contender’s performance, handling, ride quality, braking and wet weather grip put to the ultimate test. In addition, the 4×4 models were put through a challenging off-road course at the venue.
On the final testing day, the finalists were judged in real-world conditions on a road route in Hennopsriver Valley. This “one last drive” also helped jurors determine the final scores for each contender.
But why compare such a wide variety of cars?
The finalists are not compared directly with each other, and jurors are strictly urged to use each vehicle’s direct rivals as a reference point when scoring.
It is a comprehensive process, as the score sheet for each vehicle contains 32 questions. In addition to the aforementioned static and dynamic aspects, jurors also rate value-for-money, price competitiveness as well as overall levels of innovation, desirability and excellence.
Excellence comes to the fore
The South African Car of the Year competition celebrates excellence and innovation, recognising only the finest new vehicles, with eligibility limited to models launched in the preceding year.
For this reason, the competition is seen as a badge of honour among automotive manufacturers, a sign that they have pushed the boundaries and reset the benchmark in a particular segment, be it the entry-level market or the luxury car realm.
A closer look at the categories
The overall winner’s award is highly coveted in the industry, but the competition also announces category victors to recognise excellence within specific market segments.
To that end, the 2025 COTY competition encompasses six categories, covering the most essential segments of the market. The categories are: Budget, Family, Premium, Executive, Adventure Utility and Performance.
Competitors in each category are highlighted below.
BUDGET
GAC GS3 Enzoom
Mahindra XUV 3X0
Suzuki Swift
FAMILY
Mini Countryman
Jaecoo J7
Volkswagen Tiguan
PREMIUM
BMW X3
Omoda C9
Volvo EX30
EXECUTIVE
BMW 5 Series
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
ADVENTURE UTILITY
GWM P500
Mitsubishi Triton
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
PERFORMANCE
BMW M5
Ford Mustang GT
Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance
Value for money and sales performance
Value for money, a key competition criterion, will undergo further analysis in a follow-up study by Lightstone Automotive. As COTY’s automotive data partner, Lightstone Automotive supplies data like average monthly sales volumes per product and market segment, and specification-adjusted competitor pricing to complete the scoring process. An officially appointed audit company formally audits the jury’s results.
Category wins are not guaranteed
Each of these categories is well represented this year, showing the vast spectrum of new entrants to the market, catering to a wide variety of motoring needs. Simply being named as a finalist is an outstanding achievement for each of these vehicles and one that the manufacturers widely celebrate.
However, winning a category award is no easy feat, and even the highest scorers within each category are not guaranteed a prize, as a particular scoring threshold needs to be surpassed.
Members of the public also get to have their say in the 2025 COTY competition, thanks to a ‘Motor Enthusiast’ award, which online votes will determine. To vote in this competition, visit https://ominsurecoty.co.za/voting-2025/
The winners of the 2025 COTY competition will be announced in early May.
Image (The Jaecoo J7 has been nominated in the ‘Family’ category).
