2019 AutoTrader SA Car of the Year semi-finalists have been announced

By Martin Pretorius 

The finalists for the 2019 AutoTrader SA Car of the Year have been announced, with this year’s selection covering most sections of the local passenger car market. Expanding on the competition’s traditional aim of rewarding automotive excellence, this year’s list of semi-finalists has been compiled with input from the buying public.

Through the use of a dedicated portal, set up by AutoTrader and promoted to reach an audience of more than 5 million people, members of the public were encouraged to cast their votes from the original list of eligible cars. In the end, the public votes went along very similar lines to those of the jury members, all of whom are seasoned professional motoring journalists.

This outcome is much to the delight of Reuben van Niekerk, Chairman of the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists: “We are extremely proud of the public participation this year, and were not surprised when the voting, in a large part, mirrored that of our voting Guild members.” This is the first time in the award’s 33-year history that the public was invited to vote for their favourites, an expansion which represents the next step in the evolution of this competition.

George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, points out that SUVs dominate this year’s list: “This genre of vehicle is gaining in popularity – not only here in South Africa but also all over the world. Accordingly, the list of semi-finalists is reflecting global automotive trends.” It’s also noteworthy that the entrants from five brands (Suzuki, Volvo, Honda, Renault and Opel) combine to take up so many positions on this year’s list: “They account for half of all the semi-finalists, which proves that these brands are truly at the top of their game,” Mienie comments.

Old favourites and new faces.

Many of the brand names represented on the list of semi-finalists have been previous winners: Opel, Volvo, Alfa-Romeo, Hyundai, Porsche and Renault have all won this competition before, and in some cases, multiple times as well. Others have come close before, by making it to the finalist stage, so their presence won’t come as much of a surprise.

However, this year sees a new nameplate among these established stars, with the Haval H9 posing some strong credentials as a possible winner. Another appealing contender comes from Lexus, with the new ES making a case for the traditional luxury sedan alongside all the SUVs and Crossovers.

Excitement or value?

Sporty types will undoubtedly root for the Honda Civic Type R, but this manufacturer’s new Amaze will deserve many votes of its own, with its simple charm and surprising competence. Other charming yet high-value offerings come from Suzuki, with their new Swift and Jimny presenting a two-pronged challenge.

Renault’s excellent new Megane RS takes aim at the hot Civic, and the brand-new Duster provides a counterpoint to the Jimny’s down-home charm in the compact SUV segment. The Duster is facing a formidable Korean opponent as well, because the Hyundai Kona is winning friends all over the motoring landscape.

Luxurious newcomers

Apart from the aforementioned Lexus ES, the luxury market presents some other stunning entrants as well. Jaguar’s very pretty E-Pace and the posh Range Rover Velar show just how good Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) can be when they hit the bull’s eye, while the new Porsche Cayenne presents its own interpretation of the luxury SUV theme. Meanwhile, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio has made quite a splash since it landed, due to its good looks, stirring driving dynamics and great practicality, and the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class presents a lot of new technology and forward-looking style.

..... and more SUVs.

With the current-generation XC90 being a previous winner as background, Volvo brings a double attempt at a repeat performance, with the compact XC40 and mid-sized XC60 (the reigning World Car of the Year) both trying to emulate their larger sibling’s success. For a different take on the SUV theme, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport combines the traditional-style body-on-frame design with an advanced drivetrain, full-LED lighting and a competitive price.

Opel’s entrants target some even more-affordable Crossover market segments with their Crossland X and Grandland X offerings, hoping to repeat the Astra’s victory a mere two years ago. Finally, there’s a “normal” small hatch to round out this list, in the form of Nissan’s new Micra, which has moved a little upmarket and become a lot more stylish in the process.

Here’s the full list of semi-finalists in alphabetical order:

1. Alfa Romeo	Stelvio
2. Haval	H9
3. Honda	Civic Type R
4. Honda	Amaze
5. Hyundai	Kona
6. Jaguar	E-Pace
7. Land Rover	Range Rover Velar
8. Lexus	ES
9. Mercedes-Benz	A-Class
10. Mitsubishi	Pajero Sport
11. Nissan	Micra
12. Opel	Grandland X
13. Opel	Crossland X
14. Porsche	Cayenne
15. Renault	Duster
16. Renault	Megane RS
17. Suzuki	Swift
18. Suzuki	Jimny
19. Volvo	XC60
20. Volvo	XC40

 

The road to the podium

The finalists would be put through structured testing procedures in March 2019, before scoring each against its direct class competitors on 11 aspects, ranging from engine performance to exterior design. Once this scoring process is completed and analysed, the winner will be announced at a gala event not long after the evaluation days.