Mercedes-Benz South Africa has waited 34 years to take home the title of South African Car of the Year. The A-class was crowned AutoTrader South African Car of the year 2019 at a glittering event on Thursday evening at Shepstone Gardens in Johannesburg. The last time Mercedes-Benz received this honour was in 1987 when the 260E won South African Car of the year.
Commended for its beautiful design and magnificent craftsmanship, the A-class won the hearts of both the SAGMJ panel of judges and the public. Yes, for the first time in 34 years of the competition the public had a say. AutoTrader made it possible for the public to cast votes on their website and after 5500 consumer votes, the public came to the same conclusion as the jury of qualified jury members who collectively have 584 years of experience in the motoring industry.Chairman of the South African Guild of Motoring Journalist Rubin van Niekerk says that the judges were particularly impressed with the A-Class’s interior and comfort, stunning design, innovative technology, terrific road manners and exemplary safety features. He further stated that the advanced engine offers the optimal blend of efficiency, performance and driving fun.
The A-class won the family sedan hatch category as well.
The A-Class features an industry-leading, in-vehicle command centre, Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), pairing natural voice recognition with voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) technology to seamlessly integrate with today’s multitasking lifestyle. “With ‘Hey Mercedes’, the A-Class has not only revolutionized the way a driver and their car interact, but completely redefined modern luxury in the compact car segment,” says Selvin Govender, Marketing Director of Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa.
Other winners include the Lexus ES in the Premium Sedan Category, Porsche Cayenne in the Leisure SUV/Crossover category. Suzuki being the only manufacturer with 2 finalists this year did not disappoint. Both of their finalists took home the prize, the Jimny won the lifestyle Utility category and the young swift winning the Urban Compact Category.
