As last year and this year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the result of the European Car of the Year poll had to be announced live on the Palexp exhibition center in Geneva without a live audience. This year, however, the eyes of the Czech motoring public had a look. Among the seven finalists was the new Škoda Octavia.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, not only were the winners announced, but the selection process was also changed. For example, the spectacular testing of nominated cars in Denmark has been canceled. The announcement of seven finalists was also delayed, according to the head of the jury Frank Janssen, the seven best cars of the year. In the end, the jurors did not choose between them during the mass testing, but separately and during the online meetings.
In addition to the Octavia, Citroën C4, Cupra Formentor, Fiat 500, Land Rover Defender, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen ID.3 advanced to the finals.
Škoda was the most scored by the only Czech representative in a 55-member jury, the editor-in-chief of Automobil magazine Jiří Duchoň, and the Czech iron in the fire also won the internal duel in Austria and Sweden.
In the end, however, it meant 199 points and that was only enough for the fifth place for Škoda. The winner was 266 Toyota Toyota with 266 points, which the judges appreciated as a car of complex qualities. The city car has a great hybrid version as well as a sports three-door variant of the GR Yaris with a supercharged three-cylinder with 260 horsepower and all-wheel drive. According to Janssen, the jurors were able to positively accept the combination of the ecological version and the civilian rally special. From the Czech point of view, we can be pleased that the car will be produced in Kolín in Central Bohemia in the future.
Yaris won the European Car of the Year poll back in 2000, when his first generation defeated the Fiat Multipla and Opel Zafira. This year, he left behind a new electric Fiat 500 with 240 points and finished third with 239 Cupra Formentor points.
Below you can find out about the seven finalists who were selected by the jury from a list of 29 nominated cars, more:
Citroën C4 (143 points)
Cupra Formentor (239 points)
New Fiat 500 (240 points)
Land Rover Defender (164 points)
Škoda Octavia (199 points)
Toyota Yaris (266 points)
Volkswagen ID.3 (224 points)
Take a look at the winner of the European Car of the Year poll for the last ten years. In 2020, the winner was a small Peugeot 208, for which the jury appreciated, among other things, a wide range of powertrains – petrol, diesel and a purely electric version.
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