The eleven finalistsfor next year’s competition, South Africa’s premier motoring event, are (in alphabetical order):
- Audi A3 Sedan1.4T SE S tronic
- BMW M4 Coupe Auto
- Citroën C4 Picasso E-HDI 115 Intensive
- Honda Accord 3.5 V6 Exclusive
- Lexus ES 250 EX
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class C 200 Auto
- Nissan Qashqai 1.6DCI Acenta Auto
- Porsche Macan S Diesel
- Renault Duster 1.5DCI Dynamique 4WD
- Subaru WRX Premium
- Toyota Corolla 1.4 D-4D Prestige
One of the interesting aspects of this year’s competition is that there are no hatchbacks among the finalists, but instead the list comprises crossover SUVs, sedans and coupés.
The next phase in the competition is a two-day evaluation period at the beginning of March 2015. At these evaluation days – the most critical of which will be the scheduled procedures at the Gerotek test facility near Pretoria – 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. The winner of the 2015 WesBank/SAGMJ Car the Year will be revealed at a gala banquet on 18 March 2015.
