BMW rules naamsa’s new energy finalists

The Accelerator Awards Competition is described as South Africa’s only “fact-based” motoring competition. 

BMW, with its sister brand Mini, dominates the New Energy Vehicle plug-in category of the naamsa Accelerator Awards Competition. The finalists in the category, announced by the Automotive Business Council, are the BMW iX. BMW X3, and Mini Hatch 3-Door.

Haval makes a surprise appearance in the Traditional Hybrid Models category with the H6, along with the Toyota Corolla Cross and Toyota RAV.

The Accelerator Awards Competition is described by naamsa as “South Africa’s only objective, fact-based” motoring competition. 

Mikel Mabasa, naamsa CEO, says that his organisation uses its independently audited datasets to acknowledge best performing brands in different segments and categories across the entire auto value chain.

“We are objectively celebrating those best performing brands.”

 The segments recognised are:

• Passenger Car of the Year and the biggest Achiever of the Year in the Passenger Segment;
• Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year and biggest Achiever of the Year in the LCV Segment;
• Medium, Heavy, and Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year;
• Bus of the Year;
• New Energy Vehicle of the Year in Plug-in and Traditional Hybrid Models;
• Top Locally Manufactured Vehicle of the Year; and
• Top Exported and Top Imported Vehicles of the Year

naamsa also looked at the best performing dealerships in the country by volume where they will recognise the Dealer of the Year and the Dealer Achiever of the Year during the year under review.  

“Our decisions in determining the finalists and ultimately all our winners, are not subjective but backed by credible and very accurate numbers that are independently audited a reputable auditing firm in the country,” says Mabasa. “For this year, we are also going to recognise the socio-economic contribution our members make to this beautiful country where we will acknowledge a Job Creator of the Year; Women and Youth Empowering OEM of the Year; the most BBBEE improved and compliant OEM of the Year.

“naamsa reliably collects, processes, aggregates and publicly distributes different auto data sets each month on the performance of all our vehicle brands in the country. For the longest time, naamsa has perfected the science of collecting new vehicle sales data which has become the country’s leading economic indicator which closely correlates with GDP performance numbers.”

Each year naamsa also recognises people who make invaluable contribution towards the development and the growth of the automotive industry in South Africa. This year the following will also be recognised:

• a Top Business Journalist of Year;
• a Top Auto Journalist and a Top Emerging Auto Journalist of the Year;
• a Top Media House of the Year;
• a Long Service Award;
• a naamsa Value Creator of the Year; and a naamsa Lifetime Achievement Award.

The following brand finalists were announced last year:

1. New vehicles sales category:

1.1 Passenger Car of the Year: Suzuki Swift; Toyota Corolla Cross; and VW Polo Vivo;

1.2 Biggest Achiever of the Year | Passenger Segment: Honda BR-V; Suzuki Baleno; and Suzuki Dzire;

1.3 Light Commercial Vehicle of the Year: Ford Ranger; Isuzu D-Max; and Toyota Hilux;
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1.4 Biggest Achiever of the Year | LCV Segment: Ford Transit Custom; Kia Picanto Runner; and VW Caddy;

1.5 Medium Commercial Vehicle of the Year: Hino 300 Series; Isuzu N-Series; and Iveco Daily;

1.6 Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year: FAW CA 15; Hino 500 Series; and Isuzu F-Series;

1.7 Extra-Heavy Commercial Vehicle of the Year: Mercedes-Benz Actros; Scania G-Series; and Volvo FH;

1.8 Bus of the Year: MAN Bus; Mercedes-Benz Bus; and Scania Bus;

1.9 New Energy Vehicle of the Year | Plug-in Models – BMW iX; BMW X3; and Mini Hatch 3-Door;

1.10 New Energy Vehicle of the Year | Traditional Hybrid Models – Haval H6; Toyota Corolla Cross; and Toyota RAV;               

2. Manufacturing category

2.1 Top Locally Manufactured Vehicle of the Year: Ford Ranger; Toyota Hilux; and VW Polo;
2.2 Top Exported Vehicle of the Year – BMW X3; Toyota Hilux and VW Polo

3. Dealership Category

3.1 Dealer of the Year | Passenger: Durban South Toyota; Hatfield VW Pretoria; and Suzuki Bassonia JHB
3.2 Dealer Achiever of the Year | Passenger: Bidvest McCarthy Nissan Woodmead; Broadway Toyota Mahalapye; and Mariental Toyota

4.Importers category

Top Imported Vehicle of the Year: Suzuki Swift; Toyota Starlet; Toyota Urban Cruiser