For the first time in history, Jeep becomes the European Car of the Year 2023!

The sixtieth year of the European Car of the Year poll knows its winner. Of the twenty-seven nominated cars, the title for 2023 will be taken by the Jeep Avenger.

The 60th annual title of European Car of the Year 2023 (Car of the Year, COTY) won Jeep Avenger. This is the first victory of the Jeep brand in this poll. The Avenger model is also the first fully-fledged electric car from an American manufacturer, which was also designed and developed with the European market in mind.

In a live broadcast, the results were presented by individual member countries. From the beginning, it looked like the Avenger would have a tough fight with the Volkswagen ID. Buzz and Renault Austral, but gradually it became clear that Jeep had a clear victory. And how did the rest of the placement look?

Just the Volkswagen ID. Buzz won second place with 241 points. The imaginary podium is closed by the third electric car – with 211 points, the silver position was won by the Nissan Ariya. In fourth place with exactly 200 points was the Kia Niro, which offers powertrains in various levels of electrification, from hybrid to plug-in hybrid to electric car.

The first car that does not offer a purely electric version is the fifth-placed Renault Austral, which, after a strong start, eventually collected 163 points from the jury. Another French car, the stylish Peugeot 408, took sixth place with a total of 149 points. The pair of Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X placed seventh among the finalists of the 2023 European COTY survey with 133 points.

The winner of this year’s European COTY poll, which has been running without interruption since 1963 and was held for the 60th time this year, was decided by a jury consisting of 59 motoring journalists from 23 countries in Western and Central Europe. The Czech Republic has been represented by the editor-in-chief of Automobil magazine since 1993, while Jiří Duchoň has been the current editor-in-chief since 2016.

In the first round of the COTY 2023 election, which closed on November 22 last year, 61 jurors anonymously named seven of their favorites. At the same time, they chose from twenty-seven new products that met all the conditions for inclusion in the year 2023. Despite the continuing pressure to electrify the automotive world, there were only ten full-fledged electric cars among them. Four of them reached the finals, while last year there were six.

The second round of the survey took place at the end of February, when the judges tested and compared the cars at the CERAM circuit in Mortefontaine, France. The results were then announced at the Geneva Motor Show. However, the coronavirus pandemic became fatal to this and it will become its replacement Qatar Motor Show. The car of the year announcement ceremony was moved to the January motor show in Brussels. The judges therefore tested the finalists of the poll earlier, on the Belgian track Circuit de Mettet. The announcement of the results took place online before the start of the motor show.

The winners of the previous editions of COTY were the following cars: Kia EV6 (2022), Toyota Yaris (2021), Peugeot 208 (2020), Jaguar I-Pace (2019), Volvo XC40 (2018), Peugeot 3008 (2017), Opel Astra (2016) ), Volkswagen Passat (2015), Peugeot 308 (2014), Volkswagen Golf (2013), Opel Ampera (2012), Nissan Leaf (2011), Volkswagen Polo (2010), Opel Insignia (2009), Fiat 500 (2008), Ford S-Max (2007), Renault Clio (2006), Toyota Prius (2005), Fiat Panda (2004), Renault Mégane (2003), Peugeot 307 (2002), Alfa Romeo 147 (2001), Toyota Yaris (2000) , Ford Focus (1999), Alfa Romeo 156 (1998), Renault Mégane Scénic (1997), Fiat Bravo/Brava (1996), Fiat Punto (1995), Ford Mondeo (1994), Nissan Micra (1993), Volkswagen Golf ( 1992), Renault Clio (1991), Citroën XM (1990), Fiat Tipo (1989), Peugeot 405 (1988), Opel Omega (1987), Ford Scorpio (1986), Opel Kadett (1985), Fiat Uno (1984) , Audi 100 (1983), Renault 9 (1982), Ford Escort (1981), Lancia Delta (1980), Chrysler Simca Horizon (1979), Porsche 928 (1978), Rover 3500 ( 1977), Simca 1307-1308 (1976), Citroën CX (1975), Mercedes-Benz 450 SE (1974), Audi 80 (1973), Fiat 127 (1972), Citroën GS (1971), Fiat 128 (1970), Peugeot 504 (1969), NSU Ro 80 (1968), Fiat 124 (1967), Renault 16 (1966), Austin 1800 (1965), Rover 2000 (1964).