The Peugeot 208 it is, then. Peugeot’s new supermini is the Car of the Year 2020. Available with both internally combusted engines and as an electric vehicle, the 208 saw off exclusive ICE and EV cars to take the most prestigious award in the business.
The presentation of the award is how the Geneva motor show traditionally kicks off these days, on the first Monday afternoon in March. Car of the Year is a pan-European competition of which Autocar is a sponsor. And, for my sins, of which I’m a juror.
What I like about Car of the Year – and what as an organisation we probably shout about too little – is that, unlike a lot of awards, it doesn’t take a solitary bean from manufacturers. The logo isn’t for sale afterwards (manufacturers can use it free in their marketing) and there are no tables to buy at a fancy dinner.
Simply, we say to the relevant car company bosses: please come to a big room in Geneva at 3pm on Monday, and you’ll find out who wins. (Albeit this year, please follow it online.)
Unless I’m doing the sums (each sponsoring magazine takes it in turns), I’m usually in a Geneva show hall with 400 other people, including bosses from the car companies involved, finding out precisely when they do who the winner is. Only the handful of people who actually add up the 60 judges’ scores know it before it’s announced to the world.
This year, the 208 saw off the BMW 1 Series, Ford Puma, Porsche Taycan, Renault Clio, Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Corolla.
In February, the jury drive all cars back to back on a test day in France, while UK jurors also organise our own driving day, on the roads around Silverstone (which kindly let us use its excellent new Experience Centre, well worth a visit, as a base).
I like to pick a clear winner and give votes generously to standout cars but found that hard this year. If something is the standout model in its class, and really moves the game on in some way, I think it’s worth rewarding. I put most votes towards the Tesla and the Porsche, but I like the 208 a great deal.
It’s a slightly complicated voting set-up. Each of the 60 jurors has 25 votes to cast, can give no more than 10 points to any car, cannot have an equal first place and must give some points to at least five of the seven cars.
I did wonder if everybody’s least offensive choice would migrate to the top given such a broadly competitive bunch of cars. Not sure whether that’s the case or not, but the 208 is a really decent supermini, good fun, with a well-finished interior and a smooth ride, while the choice of internally combusted power or electric power seems eminently sensible. I think it’s a good winner.
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great news
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It's getting boring, if we don't like other posters cars, comments, try to be polite, after all, a car is only metal and plastic.
Very generic winner
Typical COTY, offends nobody committee type decision.
I do wonder if PSA were the only ones with enough cash left to buy the judges a drink or two...