Hi Mabs

I understood the South African Car of The Year to represent the industry and motorists. I was surprised when the BMW 7 series was announced as the winner of South African COTY last week. Sure, it’s luxurious and all, but is picking a high-end luxury vehicle the best move for the everyday driver?

Mabs Answers

SA COTY was never about the best-selling car or the most accessible, it has always been about automotive excellence i.e. engineering prowess, design, and technological advancement. It is a car that has pushed boundaries in its segment.

Last year a bakkie came out tops because it too pushed boundaries in the segment in terms of innovation and technology. 

We can’t punish a car for costing R2 million even though it has proven to be the best at the time. 

This is anyone’s competition, we’ve had compact SUVs and even an electric vehicle before. 

This is the best car that the men and women on the jury scored high. It just kept doing better.

The second runner-up is a Suzuki, think about that as well. It means the Fronx is running away with its mates in its segment regarding the requirements. 

If we were to punish cars for being “too expensive” then we would defeat the whole purpose of celebrating motoring excellence.