The prestigious Steyn City Helistop in Northern Johannesburg played host to the highly anticipated TopGear South Africa Awards, held in collaboration with Wesbank, on the evening of 8th December. Amidst the glitz and glamour of the event, the Range Rover emerged as the undisputed winner of the luxury car of the year category, capturing the attention of all attendees. This remarkable achievement added a touch of prestige to the night, solidifying the Range Rover’s reputation as a symbol of opulence and excellence in the automotive industry.

The ceremony celebrated exceptional automobiles as well as the outstanding individuals and organizations responsible for their creation. A total of twenty-four accolades were presented during the event. It is worth noting that, with the exception of the Reader’s Choice Awards, the TopGear South Africa team was responsible for selecting the recipients of all the other awards. Among the twenty-four awards, eight of them were exclusively created by TopGear South Africa.

These unique categories encompassed a diverse range of aspects, including Noise of the Year; Instant Icon Award; Motoring Moment of the Year; PR of the Year; Driving Academy of the Year; All the Car You Need, Bargain of the Year and Fun Car of the Year.

The judging process for the TopGear South Africa Awards is meticulous, spanning the entire year. To be eligible for these prestigious awards, winners must excel in all aspects of performance, ownership, quality, design, and innovation, as measured by TopGear South Africa’s evaluation system. Avon Middleton, Publishing Partner at TopGear South Africa, explains that the awards are all about context and experience, and that they must have driven the cars in order to evaluate them.

Other exceptional vehicles were acknowledged for their excellence, such as Ford South Africa being recognized as the Manufacturer of the Year, and the BMW X1 being honored as the Urban Crossover of the Year.

The awards not only highlighted the achievements of exceptional vehicles but also recognized the contributions of individuals and organizations within the industry. Christo Kruger was honored with the PR of the Year award, John Mulder was named Fleet Manager of the Year, and Leyton Fourie received the prestigious Motoring Personality of the Year award. The AMG Driving Academy was acknowledged as the top Driving Academy of the Year, and Athol Van Heerden was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his remarkable contributions to Volkswagen South Africa.

Here is a list of the TopGear Award Categories and Winners

Hot-Hatch of the Year – Honda Civic Type R
Family SUV of the Year – Kia Sportage
Hatch of the Year – Volkswagen Polo
Reader’s Choice Award – Beijing X55
Supercar of the Year – Porsche 911 GT3 RS
Luxury Car of the Year – Range Rover
Performance Car of the Year – Honda Civic Type R
Manufacturer of the Year – Ford South Africa
Urban Crossover of the Year – BMW X1
Bakkie of the Year – Ford Ranger Raptor
MPV of the Year – Kia Carnival
Efficiency Award – Renault Duster dCi

Bargain of the Year – GWM Ora
EV of the Year – BMW iX3
Fun Car of the Year -Toyota GR86
Instant Icon Award – Porsche 911 Dakar
Motoring Moment of the Year -Ford South Africa – 100 Years
Noise of the Year – Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q
All the Car You Need – Audi RS6 Avant
PR of the Year – Christo Kruger – Porsche, Lamborghini and Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit
Fleet Manager of the Year – John Mulder
Motoring Personality of the Year – Leyton Fourie
Driving Academy of the Year – AMG Driving Academy
Lifetime Achievement Award – Athol Van Heerden – Volkswagen South Africa