My judgement is based on following grounds:

This year the jury’s shortlist of seven finalists happens to coincide exactly with my own. In my opinion all seven nominated cars are very strong candidates, and I have given points to all of them.

Opel Insignia
A new name, a new design and a new level of quality. Opel has clearly turned over a new leaf with the Insignia. The coupe-like styling is very attractive and the interior looks and feels luxurious. Ride and handling are excellent, especially with the FlexRide system and adaptive damping. Opel already offers a good choice of engines and some other interesting engines have been announced for the near future.

Citroën C5
The new Citroën C5 has great looks. The design is stylish and modern, without being too exotic like the C6. The choice of two different suspensions is of course unique. The hydractive suspension gives Citroën customers an opportunity to stay loyal to the brand. While the conventional steel spring suspension suddenly makes the C5 appealing to customers who would otherwise shy away from a Citroën because of the hydrodynamics.

Ford Fiesta
The new Ford Fiesta shares its platform with the Mazda2, which received high marks last year. The ride and handling of the new Fiesta are even better than its Mazda sibling and, like Mazda, Ford has managed to make it lighter than its predecessor. The exterior design is very good.

Alfa Romeo MiTo
This little Alfa Romeo makes the Alfa brand accessible to young customers. It offers sporty looks as well as a lot of sporty features. And many of these features, such as the DNA system and Q2 electronic system are standard equipment on all versions.

Renault Mégane
The previous Mégane’s design was a little bit over the top for many people. The new model has perhaps lost some personality but is a lot more acceptable. Especially the Coupé looks very nice. Although the interior is nice in general, I’m not very fond of the digital speedometer.

Skoda Superb
With the new Superb Skoda again offers a lot of likeable features and very good quality at a most reasonable price. The Superb has colossal interior space, very good ride and handling and handsome styling. The twin door system is a unique feature, making this car a hatchback in sedan disguise.

VW Golf
Perhaps we should consider giving the Golf a ‘lifetime achievement award’. No other model has had such a history of consistent excellence over more than 35 years and six generations. The new Golf VI is again better than ever. But I would have liked it more if it had somehow been a bit more surprising.