2024 SA Car of The Year winners announced

BMW 7 Series | Source: BMW Group PressClub South Africa

Among 18 finalists, the 7 Series emerged as a standout contender, impressing Coty jurors from the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) throughout the evaluation process.

The Suzuki Fronx secured second place overall, with the BMW M2 claiming third.

The 2024 Coty competition saw 18 finalists carefully selected from an impressive pool of 80 qualifying vehicles representing various fiercely contested categories.

The competition featured Budget/Compact, Compact Family, Family, Premium, Adventure SUV, 4×4 Double Cab, Luxury, and Performance categories.

With a greater representation of EVs across the different categories, the previous New Energy category was dropped in this year's competition.

The category winners of the 2024 Coty competition are:

• Budget/Compact: Suzuki Fronx
• Compact Family: Toyota Urban Cruiser
• Family: BMW X1
• Premium: Mercedes-Benz GLC
• Adventure SUV: Mahindra Scorpio-N
• 4x4 Double Cab: Volkswagen Amarok
• Luxury: BMW 7 Series
• Performance: BMW M2

The Mahindra Scorpio-N also won the "Motor Enthusiasts Choice" award, which was determined by public votes in a social media campaign led by Old Mutual Insure.

This category was added three years ago to recognise the increasing importance of public engagement in the COTY competition.

Another accolade for the BMW brand, which clinched the overall COTY victory plus three category wins, is the COTY Jurors Excellence Award granted to the 7 Series, recognising the jurors' admiration for its exceptional driving experience, vehicle quality, and craftsmanship based on the jurors' input scores.

After the formal vehicle evaluation and jury scoring, Lightstone Auto, COTY's competition partner, contributes data-driven insights and online market intelligence.

This allows Coty to objectively measure factors in market relevance regarding volume and share of segment, while also recognising the importance of a product’s value relative to its immediate market competitors.

This change has been particularly successful, resulting in recent winners ranging from an EV, two family crossovers, a 4x4 Double Cab, and for 2024, a luxury sedan.

"After securing victory in the 38th edition of the COTY competition in 2024, BMW now holds the record for the most overall wins in this prestigious showcase, having triumphed in six previous years, namely 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2011.

"It is remarkable that the BMW 7 Series now marks their seventh win in the competition," says Mabuyane Mabuza, chairperson of the SAGMJ.