MOTORING NEWS - At the 33rd running of the event, German manufacturer Porsche took the top honours as its Panamera was crowned the 2018 WesBank South African Car of the Year (Coty) at a cocktail dinner in Midrand hosted by WesBank, the competition's headline sponsor.
Facing increasingly tough competition in this year's 10-vehicle strong lineup - vehicles that all represent the best of the best from a cross-section of segments and price points - the Porsche Panamera is a worthy contestant that ultimately represents motoring excellence, and a worthy winner of South Africa's most prestigious motoring prize.
The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) recognised the Volvo S90 as first runner-up, as well as the Alfa Romeo Giulia as second runner-up in this year's competition.
Beaten by a narrow yet decisive margin, both the Volvo S90 and the Alfa Romeo Giulia are exemplary finalists in their own right.
The SAGMJ has run the WesBank South African Car Of The Year competition since 1986, with WesBank - one of South Africa's largest vehicle finance institutions - as its headline sponsor since inception.
"We're proud of our long-standing partnership with the SA Guild of Motoring Journalists, who deliver the SA Car of the Year," said Chris de Kock, WesBank CEO.
"It is an industry award that has become the barometer for excellence, by recognising cars that set new benchmarks in their segments as well as the motoring world. Each of the finalists in the 2018 WesBank South African Car of the Year competition represent that excellence and the guild had an unenviable job in choosing a single worthy winner."
Mapo International is the official digital scoring system developer and sponsor to the competition.
The South African competition boasts a world-first purpose-designed digital scoring system, breaking new ground for vehicle evaluation and assessment.
Although the scoring mechanism may have evolved, the SAGMJ continues to adhere to Coty's most unique feature in that each of the finalists was put through a stringent testing procedure by the peer elected jury members at the Kyalami Race Track in Midrand.
From left: Bernard Hellberg (SAGMJ chairman), Chris de Kock (WesBank CEO) and Toby Venter (Porsche SA CEO). Photos: SAGMJ
Here, the winning vehicle is evaluated and scored in relation to its segment competitors, with each vehicle's final score determined by exterior design and styling, interior use of materials, interior layout, technology, engine performance, gearbox and transmission, engineering integrity and build quality, ride quality and refinement, steering and handling, affordability, value for money and overall excellence.
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