Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[European Car of the Year finalists announced]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/20/european-car-of-the-year-finalists-announced/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/20/european-car-of-the-year-finalists-announced/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/20/european-car-of-the-year-finalists-announced/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,



Electric cars may have won the European Car of the Year award two years in a row now (Opel Ampera in 2012, and Nissan Leaf in 2011), we can say without reservation that the 2013 ECotY will be a petrol-burning, internal combustionizer. That's because not a single electric vehicle made it to the contest's final round. But eight other cars did.

At the top of the alphabetical list is Ford's Fiesta-based, B-Max MPV. Five doors, good ride and fuel-efficient, award-winning engine choices are some of the reasons it makes the list. Next is the Hyundai i30, known as the Elantra GT Stateside, with either five or three doors, a roomy cabin and a 1.6-liter CRDi engine. The nominating committee commends the handsome hatch for improved exterior aesthetics and a multilink suspension that "shows in ride and handling."

Mercedes gets the next spot with its hot hatch: the turbocharged A-Class, followed by another hatch, the Peugeot 208. The next finalist is from another marque we haven't seen in the States for quite some time - the fourth-generation Renault Clio, followed by the Subaru/Toyota dynamic duo of BRZ and the GT86. The last two contenders are the all-new Volkswagen Golf and the svelte Volvo V40.

The European Car of the Year will be announced in early March after the jury has tallied its votes.

European Car of the Year finalists announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car awardsecotyecoty 2013europeEuropean Car of the YearThu, 20 Dec 2012 10:01:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20407536/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/12/20/european-car-of-the-year-finalists-announced/20407536/article-detail.xml 20407536 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/12/ecoty-logo-opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/12/ecoty-logo-opt.jpg <![CDATA[<i>EVO</i> shortlists its 2011 Car of the Year [w/poll]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/07/evo-shortlists-its-2011-car-of-the-year-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/07/evo-shortlists-its-2011-car-of-the-year-w-poll/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/11/07/evo-shortlists-its-2011-car-of-the-year-w-poll/#commentsFiled under: , ,

EVO Car of the Year 2011

There's no shortage of automotive publications seeking to crown their own Car of the Year. And of course, each has their own criteria on which to base their decision. But for performance parameters, Evo does a more impressive job than most.

The British car mag does away with the minivans and the crossovers and focuses only on high performance machinery - regardless of price point - so when it comes down to naming the Evo Car of the Year, they have no trouble assembling the best driving machines that have come out in the past twelve months. Naming just one winner, though, is another matter entirely.

This year, the Evo team brought the very best the industry has to offer down to Portugal's Portimao circuit, and the crop of nominees was something to behold: You'll have to pick up the latest issue to find out which driving machine won out over such distinguished rivals, but we'll ask you: Based on what you know about these cars, which do you think should win? Follow the jump to watch the drool-worthy video footage and cast your vote in our poll.

Continue reading EVO shortlists its 2011 Car of the Year [w/poll]

EVO shortlists its 2011 Car of the Year [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While it may seem like every magazine worth its bar-code is clamoring to select its own Car of the Year, over in Europe things are a bit more civilized. Seven publications from seven different countries get together each year to nominate their collective Car of the Year, speaking in one united voice.

The process takes place over the course of months. First comes the nominees, then the finalists and ultimately the solitary winner. The super best-friends have just arrived at that middle step, announcing the finalists for 2011, and as in years past, it's heavily loaded with European vehicles, but the list is not without its novelty.

The finalists came down to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Citroën C3/DS3, Renault/Dacia Duster, Ford C-Max/Grand C-Max, Nissan Leaf, Opel/Vauxhall Meriva and Volvo S60/V60. The Alfa's nomination comes exactly a decade after its predecessor, the 147, took the award upon its launch. The Leaf represents the first time an electric vehicle has made it this far in the selection process. And the budget Dacia's selection is of course highly symbolic of the economic climate from which most of the world is only beginning to recuperate. The winner will be announced on November 29, so stay tuned.

[Source: Car of the Year]

European jurists announce seven finalists for 2011 Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 car of the yearalfa romeo giuliettacar of the yearcitroën c3citroën ds3citroen c3citroen ds3cotydacia dusterecotyeuropean car of the yeareuropean cotyford c-maxford grand c-maxnissan leafopen merivavauxhall merivavolvo s60volvo v60Tue, 09 Nov 2010 08:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19706998/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/11/09/european-jurists-announce-seven-finalists-for-2011-car-of-the-ye/19706998/article-detail.xml 19706998 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/1126big_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/11/1126big.jpg <![CDATA[Volkswagen Polo named 2010 European Car of the Year]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/volkswagen-polo-named-2010-european-car-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/volkswagen-polo-named-2010-european-car-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/30/volkswagen-polo-named-2010-european-car-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , ,


2010 Volkswagen Polo - Click above for high-res image gallery

It can be a bit overwhelming when every magazine and their various editions pick their own Car of the Year each annum. Fortunately, the Europeans have it together. Literally.

Every year, seven of the continent's biggest car mags - each from a different country and in a different language - get together and jointly choose the European Car of the Year. The process is exhaustive, first identifying the candidates in the summer, then whittling it down to a shortlist of nominees in the fall before selecting their one winner for the year in the winter. And with temperatures dropping everywhere on this side of the equator and the new year fast approaching, the time has come once again.

For 2010, the jurists have selected the new Volkswagen Polo as their Car of the Year. The fifth-gen VW hatch beat out some stiff competition from the Citroen C3 Picaso, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Opel/Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti and Toyota iQ. It was a close race, the Toyota coming in a narrow second with 337 points to the Polo's 347. The Astra took third place by a wide margin at 221 points.

It's the first time a Volkswagen has won the award in some 17 years and only the second time Wolfsburg's taken the prize home in the forty-five years since the jury first sat. Sister company Audi has also won the award twice (for the 1973 Audi 80 and 1983 Audi 100), and Porsche once (for the 1978 Porsche 928).


Gallery: 2010 Volkswagen Polo


[Source: CarOfTheYear.org]

Volkswagen Polo named 2010 European Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 european car of the year2010 european coty2010EuropeanCarOfTheYear2010EuropeanCotycar of the yearCarOfTheYearcotycoty 2010Coty2010ecotyeuro cotyEuroCotyeuropean car of the yeareuropean cotyEuropeanCarOfTheYearEuropeanCotyMon, 30 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19258285/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/11/30/volkswagen-polo-named-2010-european-car-of-the-year/19258285/article-detail.xml 19258285 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/2011-vw-polo_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/2011-vw-polo.jpg <![CDATA[2010 European Car of the Year nominees announced]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/2010-european-car-of-the-year-nominees-announced/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/2010-european-car-of-the-year-nominees-announced/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/05/2010-european-car-of-the-year-nominees-announced/#commentsFiled under:



You'd expect the European Car of the Year contest to be stacked mainly with European cars, of course, if not cars from around the world that are sold in Europe. But this year, the fight is being waged almost exclusively between European cars that we don't even get on this side of the Atlantic.

The candidates for the 2010 awards were announced back in June, but that's basically just a list of eligible vehicles. Now the panel of automotive journalists from across the old continent have picked their seven nominees among from which the final winner will be selected. Those up for the prize are the Citroen C3 Picasso, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Opel/Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 3008, Skoda Yeti, Toyota iQ and Volkswagen Polo. The iQ is the only non-European product on stage, and the Mercedes the only car among the finalists even currently available in the North American market. That's definitely a bummer, but even without us, we expect the winner to be announced by the end of the month.

[Source: CaroftheYear.org]

2010 European Car of the Year nominees announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 car of the year2010 coty2010 ecoty2010 european car of the year2010CarOfTheYear2010Coty2010Ecoty2010EuropeanCarOfTheYearcar of the yearCarOfTheYearcotyecotyeuropean car of the yeareuropean cotyEuropeanCarOfTheYearEuropeanCotyThu, 05 Nov 2009 14:20:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19224485/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/11/05/2010-european-car-of-the-year-nominees-announced/19224485/article-detail.xml 19224485 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/coty-trophy_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/11/coty-trophy.jpg <![CDATA[European jurists announce candidates for 2010 Car of the Year]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/24/european-jurists-announced-candidates-for-2010-car-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/24/european-jurists-announced-candidates-for-2010-car-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/24/european-jurists-announced-candidates-for-2010-car-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under:

It's getting to be that time of the year when jurists select their favorites for the various Car of the Year awards. And so, hot on the heels of the announced list of nominees for the 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards comes the roster of candidates for the 2010 European Car of the Year awards.

For those unfamiliar, the European COTY award is a joint effort between several automotive publications across Europe that banded together way back in 1964 to select their one favorite. England's Autocar, Italy's Auto, Spain's Autopista, Holland's Autovisie, France's L'Automobile, Germany's Stern and Sweden's Vi Bilagare all contribute jurists who take several months to narrow down the list of eligible candidates to a seven-car shortlist before picking their choice for the year.

Although it doesn't have any nominees in the field this year, Fiat has won the award nine times (plus two for Alfa Romeo and another for Lancia). Recent winners have included the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Fiat 500, Ford S-Max and Renault Clio. Follow the jump to view the list of this year's candidates and stay tuned for the seven-car shortlist before the winner will be announced on November 30.

[Source: CarOfTheYear.org]

Continue reading European jurists announce candidates for 2010 Car of the Year

European jurists announce candidates for 2010 Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The panel of 59 automotive journalists which decide each year's European Car of the Year have narrowed down their selection from the initial list of 38 contenders to just seven finalists, which have now been announced. Along the way, some noteworthy new vehicles have been forsaken, among them the new Audi A4, BMW 7 Series, Honda Accord, Jaguar XF and Volkswagen Scirocco, but not everyone could make the short-list. Otherwise it wouldn't be a short list.

The finalists for the coveted prize includes the Alfa Romeo MiTo, Citroen C5, Ford Fiesta, Opel/Vauxhall Insignia, Renault Megane, Skoda Superb and Volkswagen Golf. It's worth noting that previous versions of the Megane took home the trophy in their hatchbacks twice since the contest was instituted thirteen years ago. Fiat and Alfa Romeo, meanwhile, have won it six times. We'll see who takes home the prize for 2009, with the winner scheduled for release in just over a week on November 19.

[Source: CarScoop]

Jury announces finalists for European Car of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Isn't it nice when everyone gets along? Every year, rather than naming their own selection, several of the largest automotive publications in Europe get together and pick their Car of the Year. A list is compiled of all eligible bachelors nominees, then the list is narrowed down to a handful (usually seven or eight) finalists before the single winner is announced.

The panel, which is composed of 59 judges from 23 different countries across Europe (including six representatives each from France, Great Britain, Italy and Spain), will announce the winner in Paris on November 17. Previous winners include the Fiat 500, Ford S-Max, Renault Clio and Toyota Prius. The organization has now releaved their list of 38 contenders; among those nominated are the Alfa MiTo, Audi Q5, Ford Fiesta, Honda Accord, Jaguar XF and Volkswagen Scirocco. Follow the jump for the full roster.

[Source: CarOfTheYear.org]

Continue reading Nominees announced for 2009 European COTY

Nominees announced for 2009 European COTY originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 car of the year2009CarOfTheYearcar of the yearCarOfTheYearcotyecotyeuropean car of the yearEuropeanCarOfTheYearTue, 24 Jun 2008 09:31:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1233651/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/06/24/nominees-announced-for-2009-european-coty/1233651/article-detail.xml 1233651 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/coty2009_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/coty2009.jpg -1 2