All the 2025 Cars.co.za Consumer Awards winners revealed

South African motoring observers have a number of annual awards programmes to reference on the journey to buying their next vehicle.

The Cars.co.za Awards was inaugurated in 2015 and takes on a consumer-centric approach, with contenders not strictly limited to new releases. Aside from physical testing, the competition also takes real owners' feedback into account, as a scoring metric, in addition to factors such as maintenance plan and warranty durations.

This writer has had the privilege of serving on the jury since 2018. This week the winners of the 2025 instalment were announced after a rigorous week of testing at Gerotek facilities in November last year.

The jury comprises leading motoring journalists and content creators from various media platforms. Since 2023, the Cars.co.za Awards has been sponsored by Absa. The competition also lays claim to being the only one of its kind endorsed by Naamsa, the local automotive business council.

There are 13 vehicle categories and for the testing process the jurors are allocated specific segments. For the 2025 event my lot comprised the Family SUV, Ultimate Double Cab, Electric Vehicle, Executive SUV and Leisure Double Cab segments. You might have read my comprehensive report published after the Gerotek shakedown had ended in summer temperatures as high as 40ºC.

So, which brands received their flowers in the 2025 Cars.co.za Awards? We should start with the most prestigious title, Brand of the Year. The accolade went to Toyota. This was the fifth time the Japanese brand received the title.

Suzuki's latest Swift was launched to critical acclaim. It is a contender in the 2025 editions of the World Car Awards and South African Car of the Year competitions. The B-segment car in 1.2 GLX trim took the leading spot in the Budget category of the Cars.co.za Awards, outpacing the Hyundai Exter 1.2 Executive and Mahindra XUV 3XO 1.2T MX3.

Mzansi loves the Volkswagen Polo. It was the 1.0 TSI R-Line automatic that won in the Compact Hatch category, leaving its two-pedal rivals, the Honda Fit 1.5 Elegance and Suzuki Baleno GLX, in the runners-up positions.

The hotly contested Budget Crossover arena in South Africa sees a great number of brands and models fighting for market share. In the Cars.co.za Awards, it was the Toyota Urban Cruiser 1.5 XR automatic that came out on top. Following behind was the Kia Sonet 1.5 LX and Suzuki Fronx GLX (both automatics).

Toyota's locally built Corolla Cross has proven a runaway hit since introduction. Not just from a sales perspective but also in trophies. It was the 2022 South African Car of the Year. It also beat the Kia Seltos 1.5 CRDi EX+ and Volkswagen T-Cross 1.0 TSI R-Line for the big win in the Compact Family Car category. Note it was the pre-facelift model of the 1.8 Hybrid XR in contention, as the current iteration only came to market in January 2025.

Competition was fierce in the Family Car category. The Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max 2.0TGDi 390 brought rich specification and keen pricing to the mix. With its typically Teutonic character, the new Volkswagen Tiguan 1.4 TSI R-Line put up a good fight, but it was the Kia Sportage 1.6 CRDi GT-Line Plus that won.

The Premium Crossover fight saw two Germans (one honorary) and a Swede duelling for supremacy. It was the honorary Bavarian — the BMW-made Mini Countryman S ALL 4 — that took top honours, fending off the BMW X2 sDrive18i M Sport and Volvo XC40 B4 Plus Dark.

BMW has invested a significant amount in securing local production of the X3 at its Tshwane Rosslyn facility. So it must have been a proud moment for company representatives when the X3 30e xDrive M Sport drove off with the Executive SUV category win. It faced tough competition, however, in the form of the snazzy Lexus NX 450h+ F Sport and elegant Mercedes-Benz GLC 300d 4MATIC AMG Line.

Another win for BMW came in the larger Premium SUV category, where the X5 xDrive30d M Sport proved its mettle against the Lexus RX 500h F Sport and Mercedes-Benz GLE 300d 4MATIC.

In the Adventure SUV category, the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2.8GD VX-R and Ford Everest 3.0 TD V6 4WD showed their stuff over the demanding off-road sections and dynamic tar courses. In the end, the modern reincarnate of the Defender (110 D350 X-Dynamic HSE) bested them, with its sophisticated suspension, punchy motor and charming appearance.

Toyota's Hilux 2.4GD-6 Raider 4x4 automatic emerged as the best in the Leisure Double Cab category. A strange one, admittedly, as “leisure” is not the first word you would associated with this particular derivative. Its win was most likely bolstered by the ownership satisfaction survey of the competition — when did you ever meet a disgruntled Hilux owner? The KwaZulu-Natal-built bakkie left the Isuzu D-Max TD LS 4x4 and Ford Ranger 2.0SiT 4x4 (both automatics) licking their wounds.

Ford redeemed itself by winning the Ultimate Double Cab title with the Ranger 3.0T V6 Raptor 4WD. It outclassed the Toyota Hilux 2.8GD-6 GR-Sport and Ineos Grenadier 3.0T Quartermaster Trialmaster.

The final result in the Performance Car category had the Audi RS3 Sportback and Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4MATIC+ on their knees, submitting to the rear-wheel drive BMW M2.

And last, in the Electric category, the Countryman SE ALL4 brought another victory for Mini, trumping the BMW iX1 xDrive30 M Sport and Volvo EX30 Plus Twin Motor Performance.