The 18 finalists chosen for the South African Car of the Year (COTY) competition include family cars, light commercials, and SUVs selected from more than 55 new vehicles launched in 2025, with the overall victor and category winners to be revealed in May.
The lineup has some of the most powerful cars yet entered for the annual motoring contest, which turns 40 this year. Interestingly, not one is a low-slung sportscar — instead, the big muscle comes in the form of a trio of SUVs and a bakkie. This being the power issue, we take a closer look at the four burliest COTY contenders.
Audi RS Q8 Performance
R3,266,100
The RS Q8 Performance claims the title of the fastest SUV yet around the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. In June 2024, Audi development driver Frank Stippler lapped the 20.8km German track in only 7 minutes 36.698 seconds, a new SUV record and almost six seconds faster than the RS Q8 before its latest upgrade.
The 4.0l V8 twin-turbo engine has been bumped up from 450kW to 471kW, making it the most powerful petrol-powered Audi to date. Torque remains a potent 850Nm and is fired to all four wheels via quattro drive and an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission with faster shifting times. The Audi RS Q8 Performance claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of only 3.6 seconds, a remarkable feat given it weighs a hefty 2.3 tonnes.
Land Rover Defender 110 Octa
R3,663,600
The Defender 110 Octa landed in South Africa last year as the high-performance, top-of-the-line 4x4 SUV model. The burliest, most luxurious, and most terrain-capable Defender to date, the Octa rides 28mm higher off the ground than its stablemates and has advanced 6D Dynamics air suspension that uses continuously variable semiactive dampers to reduce body roll and pitch when driven hard.
A 4.4l V8 turbo petrol engine with mild hybrid technology brings 467kW and 750Nm to play, providing the ability to blitz the 0-100km/h sprint in just four seconds, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with high- and low-range gears.
Volvo EX90
R2,650,000
In early 2025, Volvo unveiled the electric EX90 luxury seven-seater SUV in South Africa as its flagship model, available in a single high-specification variant. With a power output of 380kW and 910Nm of torque, the battery-powered SUV sprints silently from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds, says Volvo.
It has a 604km range and is powered by dual electric motors, delivering power to all four wheels through a single-speed automatic transmission. When plugged into a 250kW DC fast charger, the battery can be recharged from 10% to 80% in a claimed 30 minutes. A one-pedal drive mode automatically brakes the Volvo when the driver comes off the throttle and regenerates the 111kWh battery.
BYD Shark 6
R969,900
While it pales in comparison to the other fire-breathing performers on this list, remember that the BYD Shark 6 is a double-cab bakkie — and SA’s most powerful load lugger at that. The plug-in hybrid pickup pairs a 1.5l turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor to churn out an impressive 321kW and 650Nm — good enough to cover the 0-100km/h sprint in just 5.7 seconds.
All this grunt is packaged in a vehicle that can tackle rough turf with its all-wheel drive, 230mm ground clearance, and 700mm wading depth. And it can haul the garden rubble while pampering passengers in a luxurious, high-tech cabin. Sounds almost like a bargain for under R1m.
From the March issue of Wanted, 2026
