My judgement is based on following grounds:

More than actual innovation, a lot of evolution and solid improvements is the best way to sum up the picture of the seven finalists. As the winner I choose the Volkswagen Polo, which in terms of concrete improvements, quality and now also design, has reached very high levels indeed. Like the Golf and the Passat, it is also capable of assuring that pleasure, safety and ease of driving that are obviously innate in the DNA of the German manufacturer. And with the diesel version BlueMotion it is also incredibly economical.

The Peugeot 3008 impresses for its dynamic qualities, engine performance and cabin comfort. The design is less convincing, as are the dashboard controls; not very user-friendly and often too small. Additionally, the surface of the dashboard which holds the head-up display is shaped in such a way that it shines annoying reflections on to the windscreen, dangerous when travelling during the day in thick fog.

The Mercedes Classe E has all the class, quality and technology you expect from this brand. But also a design which continues to be very traditional, and a lack of smoothness in some of the diesel versions not found in the competition. And although they make an important contribution to safety, I personally find the various electronic assisted driving systems too invasive.

Not much more than a variation on the theme of the Smart, the Toyota iQ is wider and has three seats+one rather than two, sacrificing the boot space in the process.  And if you want to put down the rear seat backs to load luggage, the operation is complicated by having to remove the headrests. Extremely agile and responsive in city traffic, it has no problems tackling long stretches of motorway with a good level of comfort, apart from a certain noisiness of the engine during acceleration. Braking and consumption could be improved, while the construction quality reflects the high Toyota standards.

I would have expected much more from the new Opel Astra. A good design, well equipped, competitive prices and safe road handling. But the rear seat space is modest and seems not to have benefitted from the lengthening of the vehicle body by 17 cm, while the shape of the front seats makes getting in a little uncomfortable. Disappointing too is the 140 hp 1.4 turbo-soft engine, penalised by the exasperatingly lengthy gear ratios, making the Astra less than lively in terms of response.