The SA Car of the Year (COTY) competition, proudly sponsored by Old Mutual Insure, stands out globally for its comprehensive evaluation process, which includes demanding physical testing.

Finalists undergo a rigorous three-day assessment, encompassing track and road-based evaluations alongside static inspections. Old Mutual Insure’s sponsorship makes these crucial test days possible, and the highly anticipated 2025 COTY evaluation commenced in early March.

Jerry Anthonyrajah, chief commercial officer at Old Mutual Insure, stated: “As a brand deeply committed to protecting what matters most, Old Mutual Insure is proud to support a platform that celebrates innovation, performance, and critically, safety. COTY 2025 not only showcases automotive excellence but also promotes responsible driving, informed vehicle choices, and cutting-edge safety technology – all essential for a safer motoring future for SA drivers.”

The evaluation process relies on 27 highly experienced jurors, selected by the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists (UKGMJ) through member voting and COTY committee selection.

How the test days work

The first day sees jurors gather at a central location for a briefing, followed by static evaluations of all 17 COTY finalists. With detailed scorebooks, jurors assess each vehicle across a wide spectrum of criteria, from exterior and interior design and build quality to practicality, user-friendliness of interfaces, sound system quality, and seat comfort and versatility.

On the second day, each finalist is rigorously tested at a dedicated track facility. A series of on-track and skidpan exercises evaluate each contender’s performance, handling, ride quality, braking, and wet weather grip. Additionally, 4×4 models tackle a challenging off-road course.

The final testing day involves real-world assessments on designated road routes. This “final drive” helps jurors solidify their final scores for each contender.

Why compare a diverse range of cars?

Finalists are not directly compared. Jurors are strictly instructed to use each vehicle’s direct rivals as the benchmark during scoring. The comprehensive scoring sheet for each vehicle comprises 32 questions. Beyond the static and dynamic aspects, jurors also evaluate value for money, price competitiveness, and overall levels of innovation, desirability, and excellence.

Celebrating automotive excellence

The SA Car of the Year competition celebrates excellence and innovation, recognising only the finest new vehicles launched in the preceding year. Consequently, being recognised by COTY is a prestigious accolade for automotive manufacturers, signifying that they have pushed boundaries and redefined benchmarks within specific market segments, from entry-level to luxury.

A closer look at the categories

While the overall winner award is highly coveted, the competition also announces category winners to acknowledge excellence within specific market segments. The 2025 COTY competition features six key categories: budget, family, premium, executive, adventure utility, and performance, with notable competitors in each.

Value for money, a crucial judging criterion, will undergo further analysis in a follow-up study by an automotive data partner. An officially appointed audit company formally verifies the jury’s results.

Winning a category award is a significant achievement, requiring vehicles to surpass a specific scoring threshold. Public participation is also encouraged through a Motor Enthusiast Award determined by online votes.

The winners of the 2025 COTY competition will be announced in early May.

Source: Jason Woosey