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MOTORING





                AUTOTRADER

                       SOUTH

                AFRICAN CAR


                 OF THE YEAR

                    FINALISTS


                ANNOUNCED



               The top 14 finalists for the
               2020 AutoTrader South
               African Car of the  Year
               have been announced –
               one of these cars will win
                 the sought-after crown!

                                                                                                        Toyota GR Supra
                   he finalists  for the 2020 AutoTrader   Car category, the Sports/Performance   and road testing in March 2020 by 27 of
                   South African Car of the Year awards   category has the  Toyota GR Supra as its   South Africa’s top motoring journalists.
               Tcan win in one of seven categories:   finalist and the Ford Ranger Raptor is the   The category and overall winners will
               Family, Leisure, Lifestyle, Premium Car,   sole finalist in the Lifestyle category.   be announced at an event hosted by
               Premium SUV, Sport/Performance or   A win in the prestigious 2020 AutoTrader   AutoTrader in April 2020.
               Urban. The most hotly contested category   South African Car of the Year competition   For more information visit: www.
               is Leisure, with four finalists: the Peugeot   will be significant for all of the brands   autotradercoty.co.za
               5008,  Toyota RAV4, Citroën C3 Aircross   involved in the contest. For some of the
               and Volkswagen T-Cross. The  Premium   finalists, to win would really be one for   2020 AutoTrader South African Car of
               SUV category is also well populated, with   the history books. Citroën, for instance,   the Year Finalists by Category
               three finalists: the BMW X5, Jaguar I-PACE   has yet to win South Africa’s most sought-
               and Mercedes-Benz GLE. The Hyundai Atos   after motoring accolade – and the timing   Family
               and Suzuki Swift Sport are fighting it out   could not be better, given the fact that the   Mazda3
               for laurels in the Urban category, while   French manufacturer has just re-entered   Toyota Corolla Hatch
               the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla Hatch are   the South African market. Suzuki did
               going tooth and nail for top honours in the   exceptionally well in the 2019 AutoTrader   Leisure
               Family category.
                                                  South African Car of the Year, with its Swift   Citroën C3 Aircross
               There is one finalist in each of the   and Jimny winning their categories (Urban   Peugeot 5008
                                                  Compact and Lifestyle Utility respectively).   Toyota RAV4
               remaining three categories: the BMW
               3 Series is the finalist in the Premium   However, Suzuki has never notched up an   Volkswagen T-Cross
                                                  overall win. An electric car and a bakkie
                                                  have never won the competition either,   Lifestyle
                                                  meaning an I-PACE or Raptor victory will   Ford Ranger Raptor
                                                  be truly momentous.
                                                                                    Premium Car
                                                  Toyota is the only company with three   BMW 3 Series
                                                  finalists in the 2020 competition.  The
                                                  brand notched up two overall wins in   Premium SUV
                                                  the 1980s – the Toyota Corolla Twin Cam   BMW X5
                                                  won in 1986 and the  Toyota Corolla GLi   Jaguar I-PACE
                                                  Executive took the title in 1989. However,   Mercedes-Benz GLE
                                                  an overall win has proven elusive for the
                                                  company since then.               Sports/Performance
                                                                                    Toyota GR Supra
                                                  The finalists were named at an event in
                                                  Johannesburg on 4 December 2019. The   Urban
                                                  next step in the 2020 AutoTrader South   Hyundai Atos
                                                  African Car of the Year journey is the track   Suzuki Swift Sport
                                 Ford Ranger Raptor




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