A selection of 39 vehicles has made it through to the finals of the 2019/20 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards. A total of 65 vehicles were chosen by the Cars.co.za editorial team, but now the top three finalists in each of the 13 categories have been chosen. These vehicles represent the top passenger automobiles available on the South African market.
The Consumer Awards have been running for five years now. The programme has grown significantly during this time, creating a platform of extended reach and prestige for the vehicle brands that make it through to this stage. The 13 category winners and the overall Brand of the Year will be announced in February 2020.
“Initiatives such as this offer credible opinions on the types of cars and features available in the market, and help consumers make informed decisions when choosing a new vehicle,” says Ghana Msibi, executive head of sales and marketing at WesBank – the main partner of the Consumer Awards.
How the finalists for the Consumer Awards are chosen
In order to choose the top three vehicles in all the categories, the Cars.co.za editorial team had to score them on a number of criteria, such as value for money, fuel economy, quality and performance. As a result, 17 brands are represented in the list of finalists. Volkswagen, a direct customer of Formex Industries, is leading the nominations with seven of its vehicles being represented.
The three finalists from each category are now judged against their two rivals at a testing session. A diverse panel of judges, including experienced motoring journalists and the Cars.co.za editorial team, will score the vehicles in each category and assign their final rankings.
BMW, Ford and Toyota all have four vehicles in the running, while Suzuki and Mazda have three vehicles in contention. Interestingly, Chinese SUV newcomer, Haval, makes its first appearance in the list of finalists. Jaguar and Land Rover also make a comeback after failing to make the cut last year.
Vehicles are chosen from the entire market – if the car is currently sold in South Africa, it is entered into the competition. This means that older models of vehicle, such as the VW Polo Vivo, are still put into the running for awards.
2019/20 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards category finalists
Budget Car
- Kia Picanto (1.2 Style)
- Suzuki Swift (1.2 GLX)
- Volkswagen Polo Vivo (Trendline)
Compact Hatch
- Ford Fiesta (1.0 Trend Auto)
- Mazda2 (1.5 Individual Auto)
- Volkswagen Polo (1.0 TSI Comfortline Auto)
Fun Hatch
- Mini Cooper S (Sports-Auto)
- Suzuki Swift Sport (1.4T)
- Volkswagen Polo GTI
Premium Hatch
- Mazda3 (2.0 Astina)
- Mercedes-Benz A200 AMG
- Volkswagen Golf GTI
Compact Family Car
- Renault Duster (1.5 dCi prestige)
- Suzuki Vitara (1.4T GLX Auto)
- Volkswagen T-Cross (1.0 TSI Highline R-Line)
Family Car
- Mazda CX-5 (2.0 Dynamic Auto)
- Peugeot 3008 (2.0 HDI Allure)
- Toyota Rav4 (2.0 GX Auto)
Business Class
- BMW 320d (Sport Line)
- Mercedes-Benz C300 AMG
- Volkswagen Arteon (2.0 TSI 4Motion R-Line)
Performance Car
- BMW M2 Competition (M-DCT)
- Ford Mustang GT (5.0)
- Toyota Supra (3.0T)
Crossover
- Audi Q3 (35 TFSI S-Line)
- Jaguar E-Pace (D180 AWD R-Dynamic)
- Volvo XC40 (D4 R-Design)
Executive SUV
- BMW X3 (xDrive20d M-Sport)
- Range Rover Evoque (D180 R-Dynamic SE)
- Volvo XC60 (D5 R-Design)
Adventure SUV
- Ford Everest (2.0 Bi-Turbo 4WD Limited)
- Haval H9 (Luxury)
- Toyota Fortuner (2.8 GD-6 4×4 Auto)
Premium SUV
- Audi Q8 (55 TFSI Quattro)
- BMW X5 (xDrive30d M-Sport)
- Range Rover Velar (D300 R-Dynamic HSE)
Leisure Double Cab
- Ford Ranger (2.0 BiTDi Wildtrak 4×4 Auto)
- Toyota Hilux (2.8 GD-6 Legend 50 4×4 Auto)
- Volkswagen Amarok (3.0 V6 TDI Highline 4Motion)
“The #CarsAwards is designed to be a guide for all new passenger vehicle buyers, not only those who follow motoring publications,” says Cars.co.za consumer experience manager Hannes Oosthuizen.
“With 50% of the final scores determined by brands’ rating in the survey, a vehicle only really stands a very good chance of winning if it is a good product in the eyes of the judges and if its brand delivers solid after-sales service,” Oosthuizen explains.
Formex Industries is a metal forming and assembly company that supplies a variety of complex products to the local automotive industry and the export market. The company is based in the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole, South Africa’s foremost region for automotive manufacturing and export.
Formex specialises in producing components for the catalytic converter industry, as well as metal components and assemblies for the various vehicles. Formex aims to become one of the foremost suppliers for the South African automotive industry by 2035, aligning itself with the South African Automotive Masterplan (SAAM) which takes effect in 2020.
Formex is a Level 2 B-BBEE supplier with over 80% black ownership, of which more than 40% are black women. The company is owned by Deneb Investments Limited – a subsidiary of Hosken Consolidated Investments Limited (HCI) – one of South Africa’s biggest true B-BBEE companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
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