The Car of the Year is an award given by 59 senior motoring correspondents from 23 European countries. 33 contenders entered this year’s competition. The jurors voted on such criteria as design, comfort, safety, economy, handling, performance, functionality, environmental requirements, driver satisfaction, and price. Technical innovation and value for money are particularly important factors for COTY. Among the Nominees in 2010 were:
First place: Volkswagen Polo 2010
The Polo, a car which in the eyes of many jurors looks and feels like a scaled-down Golf, has been even more appreciated than its bigger stable-mate, which took third place last year. In fact, it is the first
Volkswagen CotY winner in 18 years, following the win in 1992... by a Golf. All the 59 Jury members from 23 European countries gave points to the winner, and 25 of them chose it as their favourite. The iQ received points from 58 jurors, with 20 top marks. The
Opel/Vauxhall Astra was voted by 55 Jury members, with five of them giving top points.
Even if the VW model is shorter than a number of competitors in the B segment, this generation of Polo is fully capable of accommodating at least four adult people in comfort. Room, performance, refinement and a reasonable cargo space endorse that affirmation. As well as practical reasons, the small VW appeals for its fine exterior design and the impeccable execution of the cabin, which has a level of perceived quality unprecedented in this category.
Energy efficiency is also an important point for potential customers, with the current trend for downsizing. The Polo offers an interesting line of engines, and also the pleasant-to-use DSG automatic/sequential transmission, with two clutches. The new 1.6 litre TDi diesel engine perfectly suits the size of the car, while among the petrol engines is a lively 1.2 litre TSI with turbo which also balances performance and fuel economy. The Polo is offered in two kinds of Blue Motion derivatives, both with diesel engines. The 1.2 litre three-cylinder engine with 75 HP is homologated for an average fuel consumption of 3.3 litre/100 km, equivalent to an emission of 87 g/km of CO2.
Second place: Toyota iQ
Toyota has solved an almost impossible equation of size, room, functionality and safety in the iQ, a niche Premium city car. It has done so by cleverly engineering tricks in
transmission, steering and interior, with thin
seat backs and a non-existent dashboard/glovebox in the front occupant side… and a record number of airbags. In theory, four people –or three and a half- can fit in the cabin, but then cargo area is nil. Looks are dictated by function, ant the iQ seems unusually wide for the size, with an overall length below 3 metre. Manoevrability is excellent, roadholding less so. If anything, engine performance exceeds the vehicle’s needs.
Third place: Opel Astra 2010
One year after the Insignia has won the 2009 competition, the new Opel Astra has taken the third place in the Car of the Year 2010. It is the third Opel model to win a spot on the podium of the most respected car competition in Europe in four years.
"Frankly, winning two years in a row would have been an absolute exception. Surely, the new Opel Astra has been recognized as being the best new car in the compact class – the most disputed and most popular in Europe with over 25% of all car registrations. This honor makes us very proud: It’s a strong appreciation of the work of the Opel/Vauxhall team," says Alain Visser, Vice President Sales, Marketing & Aftersales for Opel/Vauxhall. "I thank the Car of the Year jury members for praising the sleek design and innovative technologies we offer in our new compact car."
The Opel Insignia was named Car of the Year in 2009. In 1985 the Kadett won; and in 1987 the Omega grabbed the title. The Corsa celebrated its podium finish in 2007.
The new
Opel Astra, which premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, follows in the Insignia’s footsteps by hallmarking Opel’s philosophy of combining German precision with sculptural design. For the first time, innovative technologies like adaptive lighting and the
Opel Eye camera system are accessible to the compact class which is the most popular segment in the automotive market. The
Opel Astra will hit dealerships in Germany on December 5 with a line-up of eight engines: four gasoline engines and four direct-injection turbo-diesels, all with extremely competitive CO2 emissions. Due spring 2010, the 95 hp diesel ecoFLEX variant will offer remarkably low combined fuel consumption of 4.2 l/100 km and 109 g/km CO2 at an affordable price.
Voting Grid 2010
| Country | Name | Volkswagen
Polo | Toyota
iQ | Opel
Astra | Skoda
Yeti | Mercedes-Benz
E-Class | Peugeot
3008 | Citroen
C3 Picasso |
Austria | Horst Bauer | 9 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Gerhard Nöhrer | 9 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Belgium | Jos Gryseels | 6 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Stéphane Lémeret | 6 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Czech Republic | Tomas Hyan | 3 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Denmark | Peter Aaboe | 4 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Finland | Martti Merilinna | 3 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
France | Christophe Bonnaud | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Jacques Chevalier | 3 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| Jean-Jacques Cornaert | 6 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Philippe Gégout | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Francis Monsenergue | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| Alain-Gabriel Verdevoye | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 2 |
Germany | Thomas Imhof | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Frank Janssen | 9 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Georg Kacher | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Jürgen Lewandowski | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Wolfgang Peters | 10 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| Jörg Reichle | 7 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Greece | Stratis Chatzipanagiotou | 8 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Hungary | Miklos Gajdan | 6 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Péter Surányi | 1 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Ireland | Michael McAleer | 7 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
Italy | Carlo Cavicchi | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Diego Eramo | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| Alessandro Fеrrari | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Massimo Nascimbene | 7 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Daniele Pellegrini | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Giorgio Ursicino | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Netherlands | Jeroen Jongeneel | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Ton Roks | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Jos Vroomans | 2 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Norway | Rune Korsvoll | 10 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Poland | Wojciech Sierpowski | 5 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Maciej Ziemek | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Portugal | Francisco Mota | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Joaquim Oliveira | 8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
Romania | Dan Vardie | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Russia | Vadim Ovsiankin | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Mikhail I. Podorozhansky | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
Slovenia | Tomaz Porekar | 7 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Spain | Eduardo Azpilicueta | 6 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Manuel Domenech | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Pedro Figueruelo | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Alberto Mallo | 6 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Sergio Piccione | 6 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| María Ángeles Pujol | 2 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Sweden | Lasse Holmström | 3 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Hakan Matson | 6 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Marianne Sterner | 6 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Switzerland | Urs Bärtschi | 8 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Peter Ruch | 9 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
Turkey | Ufuk Sandik | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
United Kingdom | Steve Cropley | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
| Andrew English | 10 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Andrew Frankel | 4 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| Paul Horrell | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Phil McNamara | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| John Simister | 1 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| TOTAL | 347 | 337 | 221 | 158 | 155 | 144 | 113 |
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