Publications
Partners
Cape Town - The votes are in for the best cars in South Africa as voted for exclusively by women.
The 2016 SA Women's Car of the Year is the Hyundai Tucson while the Range Rover Sport takes the overall Reader’s Choice Award.
Thousands of votes were cast and the winning vehicles in 11 categories were selected from 120 finalists (over and above the overall winners).
Cars were also voted for by the all-women judging panel which include Wheels24's Janine-Lee Van der Post as nine other motoring journalist; Women on Wheels (WOW) editor Juliet McGuire, Melinda Ferguson, Mabuyane Kekana, Lindsay Vine-Smyth, Ané Theron, Jeanette Kritzinger, Carrie-Anne Jane, Liana Reiners, and Vuyi Jabavu.
Top honours
McGuire, WoW editor and the driving force behind the awards, said: “Judges voted based on things such as good value for money, practicality, comfort, and performance.
"The ten judges voted for cars in each category via a point system and the car with the highest number of votes was then crowned the winner of that category. Judges were then asked to vote for their overall car of the year.
"The Hyundai Tucson took this top honour due to its affordability, practicality and overall value for money."
Wheels24 says...
Wheels24's Janine Van der Post is excited the Hyundai Tucson has won: "I based my vote vehicles which I considered to be practical and offer great value for money. The Tucson embodies these qualities and it's a great-looking SUV too."
"It's also interesting to see which cars the public voted for. Judging by the winning vehicles, the belief that women prefer cars that are 'safe and reliable' is misconstrued. Fast cars and good looks are certainly high priorities too when it comes to selecting vehicles. I love that!"
Catered to women, voted by women
WOW readers were able to vote for their favourite cars online (2808 entries were received with 2383 Unique Entries) and their votes were counted to determine the winner in each category. The 11 winners each received a Reader’s Choice award and the Range Rover Sport was chosen from the list of category winners as the Reader’s Choice 2016 WOW Car of the Year.
“The reason these awards are so important is because they are the only awards that are catered to women and voted by women,” says McGuire. “These judges are at the top of their game within the motoring journalism industry. It’s also interesting to see what the public would consider the best of the best.”
McGuire continues: “This was the first year whereby a point system was used in the voting process and I could not be happier with the results. It is a true reflection of what the leading female motoring journalists in this country deem to be the best of the best. The Reader’s Choice section of the awards is also a first for the WOW awards. Usually we include it in the total votes, but I felt we should keep them separate as to see exactly what our readers are thinking when it comes to the best cars on the market.”
All the winners:
Judges selection: Van der Post adds her top 3 votes below for each category.
Overall car of the year: Hyundai Tucson
Budget buys: Kia Picanto
Van der Post's (VDP) top 3: Renault Sandero, Kia Picanto, Ford Figo
Hatchbacks: Audi A3
VDP: Opel Astra, Kia Rio, Mazda2
Family Sedans: Audi A4
VDP: Ford Fusion, Lexus ES, Volkswagen Passat
Luxury Sedans: BMW 7 Series
VDP: BMW 7 Series, Lexus GS, Porsche Panamera
MPVs: Kia Sedona
VDP: Kia Sedona, Ford Tourneo Connect, Hyundai H1
Green Cars: Volvo XC90 T8
VDP: BMW i3, Toyota Prius, Volvo XC90 T8
Compact Crossover/SUVs: Hyundai Tucson
VDP: Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V, Kia Soul
Large Crossover/SUV: Volvo XC90
VDP: Toyota Fortuner, Porsche Cayenne, Volvo XC90
Convertibles: Mazda MX-5
VDP: Porsche 911 Cabriolet, Jaguar F-Type, Mazda MX-5
Lifestyle Bakkies: Ford Ranger
VDP: Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux, Nissan NP200
Sports Cars: Ford Mustang
VDP: Nissan GT-R, Ford Mustang, Audi RS6
Readers choice awards:
Budget buys: Volkswagen Polo
Hatchbacks: Mercedes-Benz A-Class
Family Sedans: Audi A4
Luxury Sedans: Mercedes-Benz S-Class
MPVs: Mercedes-Benz V-Class
Green Cars: BMW i8
Compact Crossover/SUVs: Mercedes-Benz GLC
Large Crossover/SUV: Range Rover Sport
Convertibles: Ferrari 488 Spider
Lifestyle Bakkies: Toyota Hilux
Sports Cars: Ford Mustang
OVERALL CAR OF THE YEAR: Range Rover Sport
