The Peugeot 208 has won European Car of the Year. It was a close-fought contest, with a strong second-place for Tesla’s Model 3. Electric cars put up a strong show, with the Pug being commended partly for its e version, and the Tesla and Porsche Taycan also coming in strongly.

The jurors had selected seven candidates for the shortlist earlier this year. They were BMW’s 1 Series, the Ford Puma, the Peugeot 208, Porsche Taycan, Renault Clio, Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Corolla. A pretty wide spread of choices.

And there were few stragglers, as the closeness of the final scoring showed.

Peugeot 208: 281
Tesla Model 3: 242
Porsche Taycan: 222
Renault Clio: 211
Ford Puma: 209
Toyota Corolla: 152
BMW 1 Series: 133

The jury consists of 59 car reviewers from all over wider Europe. I’ve been one since 2001. We vote very independently of one another.

We don’t always go for conventional mass-market machines. Sure, winners have included the Golf and Clio (two generations each), and more recently crossovers: Peugeot 3008 and Volvo XC40. But we’ve also given the trophy to the cars that were really pioneering in their day: Mk2 Prius, the Mk1 Nissan Leaf, the first Megane Scenic, and even the Vauxhall Ampera – yup, the first of the viable PHEVs. Last year the Jaguar I-Pace just edged it ahead of the Alpine A110.

I’d put the Tesla top of my scores. It’s not such a good car as the Porsche but right now its superior rapid-charging network makes it a better long-distance prospect by some margin. I had the Porsche and BMW tied for second.

My fellow jurors didn’t agree with me on the BMW. But then, hatchbacks are price-sensitive and it’s more expensive in some markets than in the UK. Also, it’s good but not a game-changer.

The Peugeot does have some real stand-out features. People love its style, it’s got a very striking cabin. And it’s competitively powered whether in petrol, diesel or electric guise.

Words: Paul Horrell