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The field of contenders for the prestigious title of Autotrader South African Car of the Year is a mixed bag of hatchbacks, compacts, bakkies, crossovers, SUVs and an electric car in the form of the Jaguar I-Pace.

The finalists are (in alphabetical order):BMW 3 SeriesBMW X5Citroën C3 AircrossFord Ranger RaptorHyundai AtosJaguar I-PACE Mazda3Mercedes-Benz GLEPeugeot 5008Suzuki Swift SportToyota Corolla HatchToyota GR SupraToyota RAV4Volkswagen T-Cross

Toyota are the odds-on favourite with three contenders in the running, but the last time Toyota won the competition was in 1989.

This time, the company has representation with the Toyota GR Supra sports car, the popular RAV4 and the Corolla hatch, which increases their chances of category wins in the competition as well.

The Car of the Year competition also awards winners in the Family, Leisure, Lifestyle, Premium Car, Premium SUV, Sport/Performance and Urban categories.

The BWW X5 and 3-Series are also in the hunt, the only other manufacturer with more than one contender vying for the prize.

BMW is historically, the most successful car company in the history of the competition with six overall wins, the 3-Series itself having taken top honours on two previous occasions.  

Having just returned to the country and with promises of a powerful resurgence, the Citroën C3 Aircross joining the fray is a good boost for the French marque.

Winning the overall competition and its category will be a hard ask considering that the Citroën will go head to head with the Volkswagen T-Cross and Toyota RAV4 in the Leisure category – each of these boasting some formidable credentials, sales popularity and brand strength – as well as another French product, the Peugeot 5008.

First-timers in the running for Car of the Year title

Will we see a bakkie win the COTY title or perhaps an electric car? This has never happened before but these two contenders certainly stand a chance representing a serious shift in the goalposts in each of their segments.

The Ford Ranger Raptor has been dubbed the first “performance bakkie” of its kind in South Africa and the Jaguar I-Pace a truly capable and practical execution of a premium, everyday-use electric car.

The next phase of the competition involves each of the finalists being tested by SAGMJ jury members in early 2020, after which a scoring process takes place to determine the overall winner.

Also new to the competition is an additional public voting score which gets added to the mix to bring the competition more in line with a fair and relevant Autotrader Car of the Year result.

The Autotrader Car of the Year winner and category winners will be announced in April 2020.

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