As is customary with the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists, the top 10 finalists for the South African Car of the Year were announced at the Johannesburg International Motor Show. The final 10 cars are voted on by 30 selected members of the SAGMJ, with this years competitions being sponsored by WesBank, Total and Hollard Insurance.

The next phase of the competition will take place at the Gerotek test facility near Pretoria. Over 2 days the cars will be put through their paces in a variety of conditions, with sports cars and 4×4’s etc being tested on routes they would be generally used on. The cars are then judged on their aesthetics, build quality and ergonomics, with value for money coming into consideration as well. Additional data is also available, as well as the fuel economy stats for each of the vehicles.

All cars eligible for the competition were drawn from those which were launched from the 1st of October 2010 to the 31st of August 2011. The winner of the South African Car of the Year will then be chosen in March 2012. Below are the top 10 finalists, in no particular order:

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 125 kW MultiAir Distinctive

Audi A6 3.0 T TDI Quattro S tronic

Citroen DS4 THP 200 Sport

Ford Focus 2.0 TDCI Trend Sedan Powershift

Hyundai Elantra 1.8 GLS

Kia Picanto 1.2 EX

Mercedes Benz SLK 350 BlueEFFICIENCY

Peugeot 5008 2.0 HDi Active Man

Suzuki Kizashi 2.4 SDLX Man

VW Jetta 1.4 TSI 118 kW Highline