Volkswagen’s Amarok Double Cab and new Polo have been chosen as the finalists for the 2011 Wesbank/SAGMJ Car of the Year competition.

Amarok 2.0 BiTDI 4x2 Double Cab and Polo 1.6 TDI Comfortline 77kW will compete with other eight finalists for the country’s premier motoring award. Volkswagen is hoping the Amarok or new Polo will make it two in a row for the Brand following Golf 1.4 TSI’s success in the 2010 competition.

“Volkswagen Group South Africa is honoured to have two of its cars as the finalists in this prestigious competition, especially the Amarok which has just been launched in South Africa and is the first Double Cab finalist in the COTY competition. In the past three years, Volkswagen Brands have made the final list of the competition. The nomination of our cars as finalists, is a strong endorsement of our Brand strength,” said Mike Glendinning, Director Sales and Marketing, Volkswagen Group South Africa.

The next step of the competition is a two-day test session in February 2011 at the Gerotek test facility near Pretoria, where the cars will be assessed independently by the Jury members.

In keeping with the broadened competition the testing at Gerotek will allow the cars to be evaluated in conditions each vehicle would be expected to perform under. Routes are designed to evaluate 4x4s or sports cars, as the average consumer would use them.

The winner of the 2011 WesBank / SAGMJ Car the Year will be revealed in March 2011.