40 Years of Arguing About Cars

SA COTY Turns 40 and Drops a Finalist List That Will Start Group Chats

South Africa’s most famous motoring debate has hit middle age. The SAGMJ Car of the Yearcompetition is 40 years old, still opinionated, still sharp, and still very good at making grown adults argue passionately about hatchbacks.

To celebrate four decades of tyre-kicking, spreadsheet-squinting and polite but intense disagreements, the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists has unveiled the 18 finalists for the 2026 SA Car of the Year title. These are the cars that survived the great cull of 2025, emerging victorious from a battlefield of more than 55 new launches…not that we have been on most of them…

Since 1986, SA COTY has done one thing consistently well. It has ignored hype and asked a simple question: does this car actually make sense for South African roads, South African wallets and South African lives? Innovation matters, safety matters, performance matters, and value for money matters. Marketing slogans do not.

Now, after months of debate, coffee and raised eyebrows, the remaining 18 contenders are heading for their annual trial by fire at Zwartkops Raceway in Tshwane. Three days of proper driving await. Real roads. A racetrack. Off-road courses for the brave and the muddy. No simulators. No excuses. Just pure “abuse”

SA COTY chairman Thami Masemola says reaching 40 years is no small achievement. Sponsored by Old Mutual Insure for the third year running, the competition has become one of the most trusted benchmarks in local motoring. Four decades of independent testing, informed judgement and a relentless focus on what actually works have earned it that reputation.

According to Presodhini Naicker, the competition has helped South Africans make smarter car-buying decisions for years, while also pushing an important road safety message. In short, it is not just about which car is fastest or fanciest, but which one looks after the people inside it.

What makes this year especially interesting is the mix. One-third of the finalists come from Chinese brands, a clear sign that they are no longer knocking on the door but rearranging the furniture. New-energy vehicles are firmly in the race, challenging old assumptions and shaking up categories.

At the same time, the established players are holding their ground in the performance and luxury corners, sharpening knives and polishing reputations. The result is a finalist list that stretches from sensible daily drivers to full-blown statement machines.

Here are the 2026 SA Car of the Year finalists, in alphabetical order, and yes, this is where the debates will begin:

• Alfa Romeo Junior
• Audi A5
• Audi RS Q8
• BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe
• BYD Dolphin Surf
• BYD Shark
• Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV
• GWM Haval H7
• Hyundai Santa Fe
• Jetour T2
• Land Rover Defender OCTA
• Leapmotor C10 REEV
• Lexus GX
• Omoda C7
• Opel Grandland
• Volkswagen Golf 1.4TSI
• Volkswagen Tayron
• Volvo EX90

In early March 2026, these cars will be driven, pushed, poked and judged properly. After the driving comes the maths, with Lightstone Auto data weighing in to balance emotion with reality. Sales volumes, pricing and specifications will all have their say.

The Motor Enthusiast’s Choice public vote also returns, giving everyday drivers a chance to influence the conversation and remind the experts that opinions exist outside the jury room.

After 40 years, SA COTY remains refreshingly simple. Drive everything. Argue about it. Choose the best. The winners will be crowned at a gala event in Johannesburg in the first week of May.

Expect trophies, applause, and at least one person quietly saying, “I still think the other one should have won.”

Hashtags to fuel the debate: #SACOTY2026 and #OMICOTY