Cape Town - The 12 finalists competing for the 2016 SA Car of the Year (CoTY) title has been revealed following a vote by members of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists.
The vehicles are set to undergo extensive testing by CoTY jury members in Pretoria in February.
The winner is set to be announced March.
Users' Car of the Year
We asked Wheels24 users "Which vehicle do you think should be crowned the 2016 SA Car of the Year?" in our homepage voting booth.
Our poll has garnered more than 5000 votes.
The Ford Fusion leads with 1397 votes (24%) followed by the Volvo XC90 in second place (738 votes or 13%) and, surprisingly, BMW's i3 electric car with 641 votes (11%), in third.
The Peugeot 308 (169 votes) trails in last place.
Users' vote:
Ford Fusion - 1397 votes
Volvo XC90 - 738 votes
BMW i3 - 641 votes
Land Rover Discovery Sport - 615 votes
Mazda 2 - 523 votes
Honda HR-V - 368 votes
Jaguar XE - 360 votes
Opel Adam - 320 votes
Kia Sorento - 311 votes
Opel Corsa - 269 votes
Citroen C4 Cactus - 171 votes
Peugeot 308 - 169 votes
New rules for 2016
With the aim of rewarding "automotive excellence", the 2016 CoTY Jury will put the finalists through structured testing in early February 2016. The winner will be announced in March 2016 in Gauteng.
Each vehicle will be scored and measured against its class competitors on aspects that include:
• Value for money
• Safety & technology
• Performance
• Overall excellence
• Interior design & practicality
• Handling & dynamics
• Exterior aesthetics
• Efficiency
Which finalist do you think should win the title (and WHY)? Email us or connect on social media via Facebook and Twitter.