Jetour T2 takes top COTY honours

Forty years is a significant milestone for any motoring award, but the 2026 South African Car of the Year competition will be remembered for far more than its anniversary celebrations. This year marked a watershed moment for the local automotive industry as the Jetour T2 became the first Chinese vehicle to claim the coveted South African Car of the Year title.

Announced at an awards ceremony in Johannesburg, the result reflected the growing influence of Chinese manufacturers in South Africa. Of the 18 finalists competing across six categories, no fewer than seven cars hailed from China. Yet it was the Jetour T2 that ultimately stood tallest, securing both the overall Car of the Year title and victory in the Mild Adventure category.

The achievement is significant not only for Jetour, but also for the broader Chinese automotive industry. Chinese brands have long worked to shake off outdated perceptions, steadily improving quality, technology, safety and design. The T2’s success suggests that those efforts are beginning to pay dividends in a very public way.

The adventure-focused SUV impressed judges with its mix of rugged styling, premium features and modern technology. It faced stiff opposition in the Mild Adventure category from the Hyundai Santa Fe, as well as two fellow Chinese contenders, the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid bakkie and the GWM Haval H7 hybrid SUV. Despite the strong competition, the T2 emerged as the clear winner before going on to secure the overall crown.

The success of Chinese manufacturers did not end there. The Omoda C7 added another category victory for China by taking top honours in the Family (On-Road) category. The crossover SUV outperformed the Chery Tiggo 7 PHEV, Leapmotor C10 REEV, Opel Grandland and Volkswagen Tayron to claim the award.

Elsewhere, the competition produced several closely contested category battles. The Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI won the Compact category, beating the Alfa Romeo Junior, BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé and BYD Dolphin Surf. The Golf was praised for successfully balancing performance with fuel efficiency, a combination that has long been one of the model’s strengths.

The Adventure category was effectively a two-horse race between the Land Rover Defender OCTA and the Lexus GX. Both vehicles brought serious off-road credentials to the table, but it was the high-performance Defender OCTA that eventually secured the category victory.

In the Premium category, the Audi A5 emerged victorious against a diverse field that included the Volvo EX90, Hyundai Santa Fe and Lexus GX.

Audi also enjoyed success in the Performance category, where the RS Q8 claimed top honours. The flagship performance SUV beat the Land Rover Defender OCTA and Alfa Romeo Junior to take the category win.

While Jetour celebrated the biggest prize of the evening, public opinion favoured another Chinese contender. The Chery Tiggo 7 was named the winner of the 2026 Old Mutual Insure Car of the Year Motor Enthusiast People’s Choice Award. Voted for by the public, the Tiggo 7 earned praise for its striking design, generous specification and strong value-for-money proposition.

The road to victory was anything but straightforward. More than 55 qualifying vehicles launched during 2025 were initially considered for the competition. A panel of 25 experienced automotive journalists then narrowed the field to 18 finalists in January 2026. Final judging took place over three days at Zwartkops Raceway in Tshwane, where vehicles were assessed on everything from engineering excellence and innovation to safety, design, handling and suitability for South African conditions.

The story of the night belonged to Jetour. In the competition’s 40-year history, no Chinese brand had ever managed to secure the overall Car of the Year title. The Jetour T2 changed that, writing a new chapter in South African motoring history and signalling just how rapidly the automotive landscape is evolving.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is editor of GadgetWheels and was a member of the jury for the Car of the Year 2026 competition.