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After months of deliberation, Europe’s Car of the Year panel has narrowed down the field of 31 to seven finalists.
Autoblog reports the panel has chosen the following nominees for the 2015 Car of the Year:
- BMW 2 Series Active Tourer
- Citroën C4 Cactus
- Ford Mondeo
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class
- Nissan Qashqai
- Renault Twingo
- Volkswagen Passat
The winner will be announced during the 2015 Geneva Auto Show this coming March. Previous winners include the Peugeot 308, Volkswagen Golf and Opel Ampera, with the first title awarded 50 years ago to the 1964 Rover 2000.
30 Comments on “Seven Finalists Announced For Europe’s 2015 Car of the Year...”
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Hmm, how is it a VeeDub even makes the finals, let alone car of the year when TTAC readers are so eager to crucify it?
Could it be they really don’t know as much as they’d like to think?
Things that make you go hmmm.
Perhaps because Euro-spec VWs are different then North American VWs along with different criteria as to what makes a “Car of the Year” in the two continents
It’s a totally different car than ours. And I believe you can get it as a brown diesel manual wagon. And unlike here they will buy them there.
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/images/b7/tdi/euro-passat-differences.jpg
Wait, why would the asthetics be changed for us too?
That completely ignores all the platform differences however.
Its the same parts car, just calibrated differently for our rough roads.
Just got a 2015 Golf Treadline TDI 6M and loving it!
I wish someone would do a side by side comparo on a euro and american spec model. I’ve heard this many times but I’m really not sure what’s different. Target emissions is different and therefore the engine tunes and emissions equipment will be slightly different, but aside from that what else? I see more parts stamped VAG on my wife’s beetle than I see on either Ford or The Dodge I own sitting in my driveway. From switches, to rotors and pads to the trans and other parts. So if what your saying is true, they have to make 2 of everything since the Euro cars are higher quality, which is possible but has to be quite costly.
I’m going to agree with jrmason’s first sentence: I think a real test of the different American vs Euro specced vehicles needs to be made with the potential goal of somehow merging the two into a truly global model that would meet both Euro and US safety specs without losing what makes them better in their given markets.
Ha ha, a day and a half later my comments show up. You’d think I had turrets by all my replies!
My comments keep getting eaten, but in short I’d love to see a side by side comparo of a Euro specd car and an American specd car. I’ve seen more parts on the wife’s Beetle stamped VAG than either of my Fords and Dodge, or any other vehicle ive owned for that matter. From various switches to brake pads and calipers to suspension components and many other odds and end parts. So if what your saying is true, VAG is making multiple variants of the same part, which would be exponentially costly. I really don’t think they’re all that different. Even the emissions equipment has become more aligned than in past models as European fuel and emissions have come closer together than they used to be.
I love VWs. The Golf is a great car. I just wouldn’t own one out of warranty again.
The typical Euro consumer puts less weight on reliability. Magazines and journos care even less. But the same exact car will be substantially more reliable in Europe. Their cars rarely see 12,000 miles a year. And Europe typically sees much cooler climates and cars subjected to much less rigorous duty cycles.
I can’t tell if your being sarcastic or if your actually being serious?
You do realize Americans average 13k per year?
Rover P6 had a huge transmission hump and tiny trunk with jack & spare buried beneath. Collapsable steering column, all-wheel discs and passenger safety cage earned the title. Leyland quality ruined it. Best iteration was with small Buick V8.
My monies on Cactus.
Is this relevant?
You just don’t get it.
Strange. That Cactus has an oddly Fiat 500X look to it.
Looks like a list of the most boring cars of Europe.
Why exactly is it “Europe’s” car of the year? How does what’s popular in the north most stretches of Norway, translate to the popularity of the cars in Southern Spain, Germany, or especially those in Eastern Europe?
It’s Europe’s COTY because of the handful of publications — represented in the award’s branding — that come together to decide who wins among the nominees.
Yup. Seven judges from seven publications printed in seven countries in seven languages, make the choice. If nothing else, that makes it harder to bribe the judges, and/or costs more. It doesn’t mean their choices are any better – in 2012 the E-COTY was the Chevy Volt.
“It doesn’t mean their choices are any better – in 2012 the E-COTY was the Chevy Volt.”
It beat the BMW i3 to the useful PHEV race by a handful of years and is probably has the highest owner satisfaction of any car GM has ever built. Granted, its mileage isn’t spectacular once the pure EV range runs out, but the total picture is still pretty positive for the Volt, IMO. I don’t see what would disqualify it from ECOTY status.
Is Smart still going to try and bring the TwinGo to the US?
The Twingo is a Renault. Renault owns Nissan. If anything, it would be here under Nissan.
But it won’t be.
The Forfour will be sharing a platform with the Twingo.
Ahh, I understand now. Looks ghastly.
http://www.caranddriver.com/news/2015-smart-forfour-official-photos-and-info-news
“Is Smart still going to try and bring the TwinGo to the US?”
I wish they would. That might actually get me to check out a smart dealership. As it is, the fortwo is totally unrealistic for my needs. The forfour would be just practical enough to make me give it consideration.
This is coming from a guy with one Nissan cube in the driveway who is thinking about adding a second cube to the family fleet, so we’re totally cool with small cars. We just have to be able to haul four people on a regular basis.
So a Volkswagen in Los Angeles would be different than that of a european model?
I hate to say this, ceeceeurti but in a word, Yes. It has to meet US safety specs which are significantly different from European. While the differences appear to be minimal, under the skin there are quite a few changes–especially under the hood.
It depends on the model.
Most are similar except engine choices and minor differences to meet safety specs.
The Passat is the most different, however. The US has had a larger Passat built on a completely different platform since 2011. The Euro Passat was just an updated B6 Passat and now is a new one based on their MQB modular platform. IIRC the Golf is the only VW in the US on that platform right now.
VW still made the styling between them look close though.
But they are still engineered by VAG with VAG components. I see more odds and end parts (switches, engine/trans parts, brake components, steering/suspension components) with the VAG emblem stamped than either of my F*RDS or Dodge,or any other “American” vehicle I’ve ever owned.
Your guys argument is irrelevant. Of course they are built to different specs. That’s no different than any vehicle that has the same model available in different countries.