22nd March, 2012
The classy Korean sedan, the Hyundai Elantra, has won the prestigious title of South African Car of the Year. The Kia Picanto 1.2 EX scored the second most points and the VW Jetta 1.4 TSI got the third most votes.
The top three beat seven other finalists, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 125kW MultiAir Distinctive, Audi A6 3.0 T TDI Quattro S tronic, Citroen DS4 THP 200 Sport, Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI Trend Sedan Powershift, Mercedes Benz SLK 350 BlueEFFICIENCY, Peugeot 5008 2.0 HDi Active Man and the Suzuki Kizashi 2.4 SDLX Manual.
After an initial round of nominations by all the members of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists the 10 finalists were put through their paces (and under the microscope) by a jury of 30 judges who each had an allocation of 25 points to award to not more than five and not less than three of the finalists.
Although the competition was tough, as it is every year, the Elantra came to the party already armed with a display cabinet filled with awards and trophies, including that of the North American Car of the Year and it came as no real big surprise to see it being crowned South African Car of the Year.