The Car of the Year (COTY) committee has revealed the finalists for the 2024 COTY competition ahead of the thirty-eighth edition of the yearly event, which is sponsored by Old Mutual Insure (OMI) for the second consecutive year.

The COTY validation committee selects vehicles, assessing eligibility against the rules stipulating that only entirely new model ranges and not a new derivative of an existing model range qualify for entry.

The only exception is a sports derivative of an existing model range, which is eligible to compete in the Performance category.

Hosted by the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists (SAGMJ), the COTY will announce the official 2024 South African COTY winners in May, 2024.

For the 2024 competition, over 80 vehicles underwent evaluation, resulting in 30 meeting stringent entry criteria.

SAGMJ members cast their votes, elevating 25 to semi-finalists. This meticulous process ensures adherence to competition standards, setting the stage for an exciting 2024 COTY competition.

"We are excited to reveal this year's semi-finalists; a diverse set of competitors that are great examples of innovation and excellence in the automotive industry, which is what the competition is all about. We anticipate a highly competitive and thrilling competition this year as the Validation Committee meticulously evaluated each contender," says Old Mutual Insure MD Garth Napier.

"The 2024 COTY edition has a competitive lineup across all categories, setting the stage for fierce competition among overall and category winners," says 2023 and 2024 COTY committee chairperson and SAGMJ vice-chairperson Mabuyane Mabuza.

The 25 semi-finalists boast strong representation across all categories. Starting with the Budget and Compact category that targets accessibility for first-time buyers – the Citroen C3 is joined by the Suzuki Fronx and the Toyota Vitz.

The Compact Family category sees heightened competition from 2023, including newly launched luxury Chinese brand Omoda.

The Family category welcomes the first Chinese battery-electric vehicle – the GWM Ora 03 – in the COTY competition, highlighting the competition's evolving landscape.

In the Premium and Luxury categories, the dominance of brands like Mercedes Benz, BMW, and Lexus is evident with three, two and one entry, respectively; while the Adventure SUV category sees competition from an Indian contender – the Mahindra Scorpio N – while the 4X4 Double Cab category is represented solely by the Volkswagen Amarok in 2024.

In an interesting move, Ford Motor Company – the 2023 COTY overall winner with the Ford Ranger – entered its new Ranger Raptor V6 in the Performance category, which is set to challenge high-performance derivatives from BMW, Honda and Toyota.

The semi-finalists representing the eight categories of the 2024 Car of the Year competition are:

Budget and Compact

• Citroen C3
• Suzuki Fronx
• Toyota Vitz

Compact Family

• Omoda C5
• Renault Captur
• Suzuki Grand Vitara
• Toyota Urban Cruiser

Family

• BMW X1
• GWM Ora 03
• Mazda CX-60
• Nissan X-Trail
• Mitsubishi Outlander

Premium

• Lexus NX
• Mercedes-Benz GLC

Luxury

• BMW 7 Series
• BMW XM
• Mercedes-Benz EQE
• Mercedes-Benz EQS

4x4 Double Cab

• Volkswagen Amarok

Adventure SUV

• Lexus LX
• Mahindra Scorpio N

Performance

• BMW M2
• Ford Ranger Raptor
• Honda Civic Type R
• Toyota Corolla GR

New Avenue

The rising prevalence of battery-electric vehicles (BEV) and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV), coupled with the expansion of local infrastructure to support this sector's growth, prompted the removal of the New Energy category of the COTY competition, with BEVs and HEVs, going forward, being integrated into other qualifying categories.

"The calibre of the 2024 COTY semi-finalists is truly impressive, reflecting the industry's commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering outstanding vehicles," said Napier.

In January 2024, the COTY jury will start narrowing the semi-finalist list down to finalists – a process during which the contenders undergo rigorous evaluation before the jury finalises scores.