This week saw the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) unveil its list of finalist vehicle ranges for the 2018 WesBank South African Car of the Year competition.

Derek Watts played Master of Ceremonies at the interactive reveal event in Johannesburg. Headline sponsor Wesbank's GM for Sales and Marketing, Ghana Msibi, commented: “Our relationships with the 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. I would like to thank the SAGMJ and the judging panel for all the hard work as they prepared for the unveiling of the ten finalists.”

Finalists were whittled down from the 35 eligible vehicle ranges, by votes from a 26-member jury. They are:

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

AutoForum publisher Warwick Robinson took part in the unveiling event and did not find it too hard going testing the Panamera.

From here the vehicles will be evaluated by jury members 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 COTY 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.

Judging criteria include 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. “As sponsor and digital partner, the MAPO team is looking forward to engaging with Jurors and OEM representatives respectively, and will always offer our full support and continued commitment to the motor industry and this prestigious event,” says Gerhard Coetzer, the organisation’s Managing Director.

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

The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists has run the SA Car of the Year competition since 1986, with WesBank – one of South Africa’s largest vehicle finance institutions – as its headline sponsor since inception. AutoTrader and MAPO supply support sponsorship.