And the 2022 SA Car of the Year winner is and best car of the year...

Its official – the Toyota Corolla Cross has been named as the 2022 South African Car of the Year, eclipsing the Peugeot 2008 that clinched the accolade in 2021.

Not to be stopped, the model also claimed a further two awards in the Compact Family and New Energy categories. The model was launched locally in 2021 and offered in both petrol as well as hybrid variants and is built locally at Prospecton Plant in Durban. The event saw more than 49 vehicles spanning, eight segments, all competing in this year’s COTY competition to be crowned king of their categories.

The Corolla nameplate has been honoured with the SA Car of the Year award on three separate occasions – in 1986, 1989, and again in 1995, and has taken the market by storm with an influx of sales where demand currently outweighs customer supply.

Leon Theron, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at TSAM, says: “While it might have taken 33 years for Corolla to win another COTY, we do feel this one is really special as this is a locally produced model that shoot the lights out the moment it hit the dealer floor.”

Toyota as a whole, also had much success where models like the Urban Cruiser and Land Cruiser 300 was victorious in the Compact and Adventure SUV categories, respectively.

The Corolla name is steeped in a rich and diverse history that spans 12 generations, having racked up over 50-million global sales – making it one of the most successful vehicle model ranges ever. Originally spawned as a compact city car in 1966, the Corolla has continued to evolve in line with the needs of the times and of the regions it is sold in.

Here is a full list of all the winners in their respective categories:

Now that you’ve got the knowledge, it’s time to shop! Head to gumtree.co.za or your Gumtree app (click for Apple & Android) and don’t forget to use your location settings to find local automotive vehicle information close to home.