By Valentine Uchechukwu Ndukwu
Jetour Makes History with South Africa’s 2026 Car of the Year Award
Chinese automaker Jetour has made history after its Jetour T2 was named South Africa’s 2026 Car of the Year, becoming the first Chinese vehicle brand to win the prestigious award.
The announcement was made at the 40th edition of the South African Car of the Year (Coty) awards held in Johannesburg.
The Jetour T2 also won the Mild Adventure category, beating competitors such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, BYD Shark 6 and GWM Haval H7.
Chinese brands performed strongly throughout the competition, with seven Chinese manufacturers among the 18 finalists. The Omoda C7 also secured victory in the Family (On-Road) category.
Other winners included the Volkswagen Golf 1.4 TSI in the Compact category, the Land Rover Defender Octa in the Adventure category, and Audi, which claimed both the Premium and Performance category titles with the Audi A5 and Audi RS Q8 respectively.
The Chery Tiggo 7 won the 2026 Old Mutual Insure People’s Choice Award, voted for by the public.
According to the South African Guild of Mobility Journalists, more than 55 vehicles launched in 2025 were considered for the competition. A panel of 25 automotive journalists shortlisted 18 finalists, with testing conducted at Zwartkops Raceway in Tshwane.
Vehicles were evaluated based on safety, innovation, performance, design, engineering and suitability for South African roads and driving conditions.
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