30 September 2015 30 September 2015

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

2016 WesBank / SAGMJ Car of the Year Finalists announced

Langhams, Johannesburg – The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) is proud to announce the finalist vehicle ranges for the 2016 WesBank / SAGMJ Car of the Year (COTY) competition. Announced during an interactive reveal event at Langhams Lifestyle Estate in Johannesburg. Hosted by WesBank, the competition’s headline sponsor, and the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ), the finalist reveal follows a vote cast by a 26-member Jury, elected by their peers, of an original list of 45 eligible vehicle ranges.

The finalists for the 2016 WesBank / SAGMJ Car of the Year competition, South Africa’s premier motoring event, are (in alphabetical order):

• BMW i3
• CITROEN C4 CACTUS
• FORD FUSION
• HONDA HR-V
• JAGUAR XE
• KIA SORENTO
• LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT
• MAZDA 2 HATCH
• OPEL ADAM
• OPEL CORSA
• PEUGEOT 308
• VOLVO XC90

The competition now moves into high gear as preparations are made for two days of stringent evaluations at the beginning of February 2016. At these evaluation days – the most critical of which will be the scheduled procedures at the world-renowned 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 evaluation days offer the Jury the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with the vehicles on specific aspects including aesthetics, build quality, ergonomics, fuel consumption, environmental friendliness, safety features and value for money.

The Jury will also have access to independent performance test data, comparative pricing and specification data, as well as comparative parts pricing data, compiled by the Guild’s digital partner, MAPO.

While all of the vehicles that are participating in the event represent examples of outstanding automotive engineering, there can be only one winner. After careful deliberation by the COTY Jury, the vehicle range that best represents automotive excellence when compared to its segment peers, will be crowned the 2016 WesBank / SAGMJ Car of the Year.
The winner will be revealed at a gala banquet on 8 March 2016.

The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists has run the SA Car of the Year competition since 1986, with WesBank – one of South Africa’s largest vehicle finance institutions – as its headline sponsor since inception. Motul and Hollard Insurance supply support sponsorship.

Issued on behalf of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists and WesBank.

A selection of images from the finalist announcement event are attached herewith and, additionally, images will also be available on the Guild's website.

Follow the action on Facebook by liking the WesBank Car of the Year page, or on Twitter by following @wesbankcoty. You can also read more about the competition and its finalists on www.wesbankcoty.co.za.