The Nissan Navara Wins Big at Car of The Year!

The Nissan Navara Wins Big at Car of The Year!

Move over Hilux and Ranger, Nissan’s Navara takes home the Car of the Year silverware.

The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists (SAGMJ) has awarded the Nissan Navara the prestigious South African Car of the Year award (COTY) in the 4×4 Double Cab Segment.

This comes after the Navara, together with its competitors underwent a rigorous judging process at the hands of South African leading motoring journalists, which saw Nissan’s flagship bakkie come out leading the pack, no mean feat when you consider South Africans’ love affair with the Hilux. The Navara can be seen as somewhat of a market underdog, living in the shadows of the Ranger and Hilux but when it came to COTY, the judges lauded the Navara for its load-carrying capacity and powertrain which, as a locally produced bakkie has been engineered perfectly for our most rugged terrain.  Aside from the Navara’s engineering, it’s also stunning don’t you think? Just check out that grille!

Speaking on the award, Mike Whitfield, Managing Director of Nissan Africa said, “The fact that the Nissan Navara is locally-produced makes this accolade even more special. Through a R3-billion investment in 2019, working with policymakers and collaborating with strategic partners, the Navara has positively contributed towards the nurturing of a buoyant auto sector,”

Echoing Whitfield’s sentiments was Kabelo Rabotho, Country Director of Nissan South Africa who went on to say, “I’m proud to be part of the team that overcame adversity and the effects of COVID-19 to deliver this exceptional bakkie to our customers. This vote of confidence, from our associates and South Africa, acknowledges the endurance of the team that built this award-winning bakkie.”

As you may recall from our previous report on the COTY Awards, there are several awards categories but, aside from the overall COTY Award, the 4×4 Double Cab segment is one of the most coveted given the size of the leisure bakkie market and its popularity in South Africa.

With Nissan taking home the silverware in this year’s COTY Awards and both the new Ranger and Amarok hitting the local shores soon, it seems that the Hilux may just have a new fight on its hands. So, what do you think?

Want to get behind the wheel of your own award-winning Nissan Navara? Then check out the ClickaCar Virtual Showroom.