My judgement is based on following grounds:

Opel Insignia
A fine piece of 'German precision', that will lead Opel into a new phase. Much more exciting design than in the past and the first example of a new stylishness that can distinguish Opel more from its competitors. Very well balanced car, as well in road behaviour as in comfort. Good range of engines and nice 'gadgets', such as the Eye-recognition system. Pity that steering is not yet up to the latest standards, but as a whole the best totally new car this year.

Ford Fiesta
A car that you probably only have to drive for a couple of miles to know that practically everything fits. Although there are close resemblances in suspension to the Mazda 2, Ford succeeded in giving the Fiesta a very clear character of its own. Electrical steering system is nearly perfect and in total the car saves weight to the old model. Safety-level also excellent.

Citroen C5
Although C5 again benefits from the Citroën-typical Hydractive suspension, it is the 'steel spring' cars that excel in my opinion. In that configuration it's a kind of 'best of both worlds' car, in the way that comfort is still on the pretty high French level and handling tends to go towards the German kind of taste. The C5-design proves that Citroën definitely (after the also cute C2/C4 and impressive C6) has found solid ground again.

VW Golf
A difficult car for this COTY election, because much is the same and on the other hand the Golf VI definitely is one of the best new cars this year. 'Refinement' probably is the key word, though technically there really also is a lot of progress. The DCC Adaptive Chassis Control offers a great choice in suspension tuning and the interior finishing is on Audi-level. Advanced technology as several DSG-transmissions and ACC adaptive cruise control are also exceptional to this class.

Skoda Superb
Skoda chose the right name for its new flagship, because the Superb represents quality at a very affordable price as well as well balanced technology. New features as the Twindoor-concept and the 4WD give the car even more status. Cabin space is nearly unbeatable and the engines on offer are powerful and economical.