The South African Guild of Motoring Journalists has announced the top 12 finalists in the 2019 AutoTrader SA Car of the Year competition.

For the first time in the history of the 33-year competition, members of the public were able to cast their votes for the semi-finalists via a dedicated portal set up by AutoTrader and promoted to their over 5 million reach audience.

SEE: Here are the 2019 SA Car of the Year semi-finalists - 5 categories revealed

Consumers voted alongside jury members during the semi-finalists round, who are all professional motoring scribes from the South African Guild of Motoring Journalists.

Rubin van Niekerk, Chairman of the SAGMJ, says: "The Competition has gradually evolved over the last three decades and now includes a technological spin on public interaction."

He reiterated that the sole aim of the competition is to reward automotive excellence, and added that the finalists would be put through structured testing procedures in March 2019, before scoring each against its direct class competitors on 11 aspects ranging from engine performance to exterior design.

WATCH: 2019 SA Car of the Year - all 31 eligible vehicles in 90 seconds

Here is the full list of 12 finalists in alphabetical order:

1. Alfa Romeo Stelvio

                                                                           Image: Motorpress

2. Honda Civic Type R

                                                                        Image: Motorpress

3. Hyundai Kona

                                                                        Image: Motorpress

4. Lexus ES

                                                                      Image: Motorpress

5. Mercedes-Benz A-Class

                                                                       Image: Motorpress

6. Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

                                                                            Image: Motorpress

7. Nissan Micra

                                                                          Image: Motorpress

8. Porsche Cayenne

                                                                        Image: Motorpress

9. Renault Duster

                                                                    Image: Motorpress

10. Suzuki Swift

                                                                          Image: Motorpress

11. Suzuki Jimny

                                                                 Image: Motorpress

12. Volvo XC40

                                                                         Image: Motorpress