The winner of the 2016Â European Car of the Year title is none other than the all-new Opel Astra. This victory marks Opel’s fifth reception of the title, and represents a great feat for the automaker, which has been on an award-winning roll as of late.
The panel of judges was comprised of a total of 58 automotive journalists from 22 European countries. They faced quite the task, as there were originally 40 contending vehicles. In the end, the decision was close, with only 15 points separating the Astra from the runner-up; the Volvo XC90. The Mazda MX-5 took third place with 202 points.
When you look at the new technology that the Astra offers, such as connectivity through OnStar, smartphone integration with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and the award-winning IntelliLux LED matrix light, it’s not hard to see why such an innovative vehicle was voted car of the year.
Opel CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann accepted the award which was presented by COTY president Hakan Matson on the night before the commencement of the Geneva International Motor Show.
“The new Astra represents the start of a new era at Opel and victory in this year’s ‘Car of the Year’ competition shows that we are on the right track,” said Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann. “It is an honor for us to receive such a prestigious award from leading automotive journalists.”
And it’s an honor they’ve held before. As a matter of fact, three out of the last eight “Car of the Year” awards have gone to Opel vehicles. The Astra itself has already won numerous international awards, including SAFETYBEST 2015 and the 2015 Golden Steering Wheel.
Comment
As COTY awards go, this is the Gold Standard. These auto scribes care less about all the bells and whistles and focus more on vehicle dynamics and engineering. So well done Opel, this is the way to regain your brand mojo.
Now may we have this same car as a Buick in North America without any modifications, particularly suspension?