Testing for the 2024 South African Car of the Year competition was held earlier this month. The jury, comprising more than a dozen motoring journalists and automotive content creators, convened to evaluate and score 17 contenders across eight categories. 

The event is organised by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ) and is sponsored by Old Mutual Insure. 

Road and track-based modules comprise the rigorous evaluation process.

After the results are tallied and audited, the overall winner and category winners will be announced at an event in May. These are my observations from testing.

Budget and Compact

Suzuki Fronx 1.5 GLX 
R324,900

The 1.5-litre, four-cylinder enjoys being worked hard, the five-speed manual is easy to operate and behind the wheel, one feels a bit more confident than they might have anticipated in a regular compact. Healthy equipment list, keen pricing, a package that resonates strongly with the average consumer.

Citroën C3 1.2 Feel 
R236,900

A plucky mover with a fizzy power source. But the driver is always reminded that they are piloting a small, light motor vehicle, especially during emergency manoeuvres, where the Citroën exhibits considerable body roll. Durable interior feel though with an infotainment system that is possibly the best in the segment.

Compact Family

Omoda C5 230T Elegance S 
R509,900

A dazzling outward appearance with a plush interior veneer to match, plus a bounty of bells and whistles. But under-skin engineering, in terms of overall refinement, including ride quality and road manners, was revealed to be lacking. Its boosted motor tends to overwhelm the front tyres, usually unintended by the driver.

Suzuki Grand Vitara 1.5 GL 
R368,900

Remarkable that even in standard GL specification, Suzuki gives six airbags. A likeable vehicle, spacious inside, vanilla-flavoured styling and a respectable on-road character. One thing though: the four-speed automatic spoils the package. Lazy shifts and a tendency to drone, it saps the life out of the 1.5-litre on duty. 

Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR 
R356,100

Driving the manual twin of the Grand Vitara straight afterwards revealed just how much better this three-pedal derivative is. The Urban Cruiser has the upper-hand from badge reputation and dealership networks perspectives. But it has a shorter warranty and service plan than the Suzuki. It also has no rear windscreen wiper (which the Suzuki has). And it is more expensive.

Family

BMW X1 sDrive18d X-Line 
R815,617

The German brand proffered a very modestly specified, diesel-powered specimen for evaluation. No M Sport frills. No glutton of costly optional extras. And what a refreshing experience. The standard X1 is, surprisingly, not all that miserly with the kit. It stops and steers with the assured sense befitting a BMW. Acceleration is fair, frugality is a strong point.

GWM Ora 03 300 Super Luxury
R686,950

Cute, cuddly appearance of the Ora had already endeared me before even getting behind the wheel. It is the least expensive of its electric peer group. Charming interior execution and a more spacious cabin than expected. Huge list of toys, including semi-autonomous kit.

Premium

Mercedes-Benz GLC 220d 4MATIC Avantgarde coupé 
R1,398,442

Excellent cabin insulation, with one hardly noticing the diesel engine firing into life. Making slight adjustments before setting off gave a reminder of how frustrating the capacitive touch-slide fascia surfaces can be to operate. Sturdy, planted feel on the road and cruising manners are of a fairly polished standard. 

Lexus NX 350h EX AWD 
R1,010,100

The fitment of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) at this price point is not likely to win awards for breaking new ground. Hybrid powertrain works reasonably well. Excels in the refinement, interior build quality and standard equipment departments. Cabin has a really cosseting feel. Silky driving manners. 

Luxury

BMW 740i Design Pure Excellence 
R2,172,751

It drives like a proper BMW, tackling slalom, high-speed lane-changing and emergency braking tasks with relish. Dazzle factor comes in the form of features such as automatically closing doors, just like a Rolls-Royce. Feels special overall. 

Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV 450 4MATIC
R2,731,951

Spacious interior feels like a mobile luxury apartment; with screens aplenty. And while its rival in the category still feels like a sharpened driving instrument, this offers a more detached, pod-like sensation. Technically, impressive, but could be accused of lacking in soul. 

4x4 Double Cab

Volkswagen Amarok 3.0 TDI V6 Style 4MOTION 
R966,000

Creamy V6 power, a well-appointed, digitised interior, accomplished road manners and effortless off-road ability: it has a decent breadth of talents. Could it win overall? Well, that would be pretty controversial, since the Ranger won last year. Though it is the only vehicle competing, a default category win is not guaranteed. 

Adventure SUV

Lexus LX 500d Urban 
R2,519,000

The vehicle was withdrawn from participation as no test unit could be availed.

Mahindra Scorpio-N 2.2D Z8 4XPLOR 
R573,199

A contemporary interior, impressive levels of kit and hugely improved road manners. Expectedly, body roll was significant on the more dynamic sections of the test. Exceptional value, considering that the base versions of more traditional seven-seater, ladder-frame alternatives cost a lot more. 

Performance

Ford Ranger 3.0 V6 EcoBoost Raptor 4WD 
R1,149,700

Bellowing Raptor felt completely out of its depth in that environment, encumbered by off-road tyres and a suspension designed for dune-jumping. Obviously, if we had tested the other sports cars here against off-road metrics, they would have floundered too. 

BMW M2 
R1,512,475

Exhilarating, particularly with its variable traction control system allowing the execution of heroic drifts in relative safety. Fiery little Bimmer elicits a smile every time, inducing a light sweat and butterflies in the tummy for the right reasons.

Honda Civic Type R 2.0 VTEC 
R999,900

Wonderfully tactile manual gearbox, circuit-tuned suspension and energetic turbocharged VTEC motor, the Type R tickles the senses in a dramatic way. Red interior, replete with grippy bucket seats and a numbered dashboard plaque, are further affirmations that you are piloting something quite special.

Toyota GR Corolla 1.6T Circuit
R902,400

Aside from being the most affordable here, the GR Corolla is a forgiving tool, easy to drive on normal roads, largely unfazed by poor surfaces. Its all-wheel drive system is excellent, offering the more seasoned driver room for fun with a 30:70 torque-split mode.