Peugeot 208 named European Car of the Year 2020

The Peugeot 208 has been named as European Car of the Year, beating strong competition from rivals like the Tesla Model 3 and the Porsche Taycan. The panel of 60 judges praised the car's range of petrol, diesel and electric engines as well as its bold styling and use of in-car tech.

The French carmaker picked up the award at a ceremony held on the day the Geneva Motor Show was due to begin. Organisers were forced to cancel this year’s event after the Swiss government banned gatherings of more than 1000 people.

Jean-Philippe Imparato, Peugeot Brand CEO, said: “It’s the first time that a Peugeot 2-series has triumphed.”

Peugeot has previously picked up awards for the 308 in 2014 and more recently the 3008 in 2017. Critics may well argue that the win was predictable as the French manufacturer took home its sixth ECOTY gong – but it’s worth noting that the top four cars this year all offered electric power.

The 208 finished top of the leader board with 281 points, while the Tesla Model 3 scored 242 and the Porsche Taycan 222. Fourth spot went to the Renault Clio, which also offered electric engines, while the Ford Puma finished fifth and the Toyota Corolla sixth.

The European Car of the Year award is run by seven motoring titles with a panel of journalists voting on the award.