Just a few days before its opening, the Geneva International Motor Show 2020 was cancelled by force majeure – the coronavirus outbreak – following an order by the Swiss government forbidding events 1,000 or more people. An annual event which has always been looked forward to for the unveiling of new models and concept cars, it was a disappointment.

One of the events for the motorshow was the announcement of the European Car of the Year 2020 (ECOTY), perhaps the oldest COTY as it began way back in 1964 with the first winner being the Rover 2000. However, the management at Palexpo, where the motorshow has been held for a long time, allowed the announcement of Car of the Year 2020 as scheduled.

Seven finalists were nominated by the jury which consisted of almost 60 motoring journalists and experts from over 20 countries (including Russia). They were the BMW 1-Series, Ford Puma, Peugeot 208, Porsche Taycan, Renault Clio, Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Corolla.

It was the Peugeot hatchback that collected the most points – 281 – followed by the Tesla Model 3 with 242 points. Third was the Porsche Taycan with 222 points. It is notable that all three models are EVs (the Peugeot also has an all-electric variant). The first EV model to win the ECOTY was the Nissan LEAF in 2011 although the first electrified model to get the top award was the Toyota Prius Hybrid in 2005.

The scores for the other finalists were 221 points for the Renault Clio, 209 points for the Ford Puma, 152 points for the Toyota Corolla and 133 points for the BMW 1-Series.

Three powertrain choices for 208
The jury was impressed by the Peugeot’s engine range – electric, petrol and diesel – which gives customers more choices. It also appreciated the bold design and technology of the car which was launched in October last year. Nearly 110,000 customers have ordered a Peugeot 208 and 15% of them have chosen the all-electric version.

The latest award for Peugeot makes it six for the French brand, putting it among the top three of the ECOTY list. The first Peugeot model to win the ECOTY title was the 504 in 1969. Fiat currently leads with nine awards since the 124 model in 1967.

Eligible models for each year’s ECOTY are selected from the many newcomers over the previous 12 months. They must be new models, not simply changed cosmetically or by the installation of a new powertrain. They must also be in production and sold in at least 5 European countries when the jury starts voting.