August 14, 2020
During this lockdown period, you may be planning on buying a new car but which car should you buy? While 2020 isn’t over, vehicle-related award organisations still award vehicles with various honours. While using the word ‘best’ is highly subjective, we’ve ranked vehicles based on third-party award results. Let’s discover these fantastic vehicles which are highly regarded in 2020.
Never before has Jaguar won the ‘Autotrader South African Car of the Year’ in 2020. The Jaguar I-PACE EV100 AWD SE had also clinched awards such as the 2019 World Car of the Year, the World Car Design of the Year, and the World Green Car. It was also the first time these awards were won by an all-electric car.
The Mercedes-Benz GLE400d 4Matic came in second place, while the Toyota GR Supra 3.oT was third.
Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, a virtual ceremony had to take place, during which the name of the winning car was announced. The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists was the organiser of the competition.
Several category winners were announced in the 2020 AutoTrader South African Car of the Year.
This category is for affordable passenger cars that are tailor-made for driving around town. Buyers of such cars focus more on the suitability to urban terrain, instead of performance or luxury. The Hyundai Atos 1.1 Motion was the winner in this category.
The Toyota Corolla hatch 1.2 T XR CVT2 came top in this category. For years, the Toyota Corolla was not conspicuous in its looks. However, this fades away in importance when you consider its solid construction and excellent resale value. What speaks the loudest about this car is its reliability, something that is much sought after in South Africa.
Included in this category are SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and MPVs (multiple purpose vehicles).
The Volkswagen T-cross 1.0 TSI Comfortline 85kW DSG clinched this award. The T-cross is like a small compact SUV. Since its launch in 2019, the car sales have just taken off, showing how well accepted this car is in the marketplace. It has been said that the T-cross could pose a serious challenge to the Polo in terms of sales, but only time will tell.
The Ford Ranger Raptor provides super 4x4 capabilities and can be used either as a double-cab bakkie or an SUV.
Despite the considerable competition for this award, the Jaguar I-PACE EV400 AWD SE managed to capture first place.
The winner of the ‘Premium SUV Category’ was the Mercedes-Benz GLE400d 4Matic, while the ‘Sport/Performance Category’ saw the Toyota GR Supra coming in first place.
Competition is high because it encourages companies to excel and achieve that well-earned award. PMD is all about excellence when it comes to car insurance. Why not contact them and find out more about their affordable car insurance, which includes unique benefits such as fixed premiums* and reduce to zero excess*?
Sources:
December 4, 2023
December 4, 2023
November 7, 2023
