Yahoo News European Car of the Year 2017 – we drive the shortlist
Conan Doyle's eminent detective, violin scraper and recreational drug user, Sherlock Holmes, said: “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" in The Sign Of Four.
With this year's seven-strong Car Of The Year shortlist pairing and tripling itself off, the same sort of reasoning could be applied. So eliminate all but the best of the two superminis, Citroën's C3 and Nissan's Micra, the two crossovers, Peugeot's 3008 and Toyota's C-HR, then the three executive saloons, Mercedes-Benz's E-class, Volvo's S90 and V90 and Alfa Romeo's Giulia.
If only it were that simple. For the fact is that if it's got this far, shortlisted down to seven from 40 new cars, it's a good car. Sure there are some notable models missing from the shortlist (Jaguar's F-Pace for one), but for a car to stand out from this shortlist it has to be truly exceptional.
This leaves the 58 judges from 22 European countries a mighty task in the past week at the CERAM test track at Mortefontaine in France and on public roads around Silverstone.
Our previous supporter in this event chose not to be involved this year, so we should thank Roz Bird, commercial director of Silverstone Park (MEPC), the unstinting cheer and victuals of the Jimmy Brown Centre Coffee Shop and Michelle Ulyatt of DFDS Seaways.
We've got 25 points to apportion to at least five cars and the winner will be announced on the afternoon of March 6. In the meantime, here's an indication of where my votes will be heading...
Peugeot 3008
We liked this SUV when we drove it in France last year, though it looks weird and the ride is bouncy. On tough Northamptonshire roads, however, it doesn't stand up quite as well. The vertical movement of the body on long bumps is uncomfortable, similarly the side-to-side head toss. The diesel versions feel as if they are at the weight limit of what this chassis can accept, the Toyota beats it for looks and some of the dashboard interfaces seem a bit clunky. It is comfy and accommodating, but not a car of the year.
Citroën C3
A likeable supermini, which makes the most of its budget roots. Attractive and vastly more innovative and pleasant than its predecessor it may be, but the new C3 isn't actually that new as it's based on the old 'Platform-One' chassis and not PSA's forthcoming Compact Modular Platform. Nor does it enjoy the benefits of Citroën's new damping system with hydraulic bump stops. As a result it bounces along the roads like a glass-fibre rowing boat in a gale. The engines are good, both diesel and petrol, and accommodation is generous, but again, this isn't a car of the year.
Alfa Romeo Giulia
What a great-looking car - even if the best-looking version is the weapon-like £55,000, 503bhp V6 Cloverleaf, which challenges BMW's M3. No it's the £28,000 to £35,000 2.2-litre turbodiesel which impresses most with its combination of rear-drive handling, looks and beguilingly good ride quality. There's something rather touching about Alfa's attempt to carve out a driver-focussed niche in this market so dominated by German makers and to some extent it's been successful. But the electronic systems aren't quite as cutting edge as this fleet-dominated market demands and while the interior is classy and mostly well made, the satnav screen is too small and the steering column stalks feel flimsy.
Toyota C-HR
Cue blue smoke, a crash-landed alien spaceship and a lowered ramp leading to an interior obscured by impossibly bright lights. Frankly if this car rolled down that ramp, you'd not find it surprising, though you might if you saw it was badged Toyota. C-HR presents the intriguing idea of an urban SUV/crossover, with zany looks and great accommodation for four adults - we used to call the target market Dinkys, Dual Income, No Kids Yet. The hybrid version is an acquired taste with its whirring, rubber band-effect transmission and the 1.2-litre is a tiny bit underpowered. The interior design is equally bonkers, occasionally obscuring practicality. It's set up softly, comfortable, but controlled. A bit of a one-trick pony, but also quite desirable.
Volvo S90/V90
A very grown-up approach for this big Swede, which is best as a sleek-looking V90 estate, but the saloon is also a looker. Volvo's four-cylinder-only policy works best in the basic petrol and diesel units, which are refined and smooth, and the transmission works brilliantly. Best at all speeds up to fast, the ride is cushiony with excellent damping control and the car covers ground deceptively quickly. The front-wheel-drive configuration means there's slightly more cabin space than the Merc E-class, but it doesn't drive quite as well and hasn't quite the depth of appeal.
Nissan Micra
This car is going to give Ford's new Fiesta, which comes out this year, a problem. After years of not taking superminis seriously, Nissan has given us a new Micra designed for Europe, with a kitchen sink's worth of equipment and refinement. Attention to detail marks this car out, with well resolved dashboard controls, clever storage space and a light and nicely controlled ride. I'm not totally convinced by the inside-wheel-braking trace control to sharpen the cornering, but it does no harm (and you can switch it off). The 89bhp, 898cc turbo petrol engine is game, but surges unpleasantly, so the 89bhp 1.5-litre turbodiesel is a better all-rounder. Prices start at just under 12 grand, and the top models come with every bell and whistle you could conceive, but if you buy them all the price is knocking on £22,000.
Mercedes-Benz E-class
Allegedly, Mercedes-Benz in Germany has been rather overenthusiastic with its “support” for some German car awards. The reaction has been to withdraw all support for all awards, which results in some subterfuge to get hold of test cars. It's a German thing; they'll get over it. Yet despite its rather po-faced attitude, with the latest E-class Mercedes has made a quite brilliant car. It's everything you would want from a big Merc; smooth-riding, powerful, refined and quick, while the delightful double-screen dashboard makes the other frontrunners in the advanced dash world (Volvo, Tesla and Audi) look a bit outdated. The new 2.0-litre turbodiesel is economical, refined and powerful and the nine-speed automatic gearbox is the best in the class. Its rear-drive handling isn't as sharp as the Alfa's, but this car can still scratch with the best.
There's rather a lot of it and it doesn't look particularly stunning (this is a deeply conservative market), but the E-class handled everything we threw at it with barely a ripple in its Gelassenheit (sangfroid). What's more, the cheapest model we drove was less than £37,000, which felt like a lot of the car for the money. This was a profoundly impressive machine, easily the best in the shortlist and it is my Car of the Year.
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