Vauxhall’s swanky new Vectra replacement, the Insignia, has been voted the 2009 European Car of the Year. The 59-strong jury of senior motoring journalists from 23 European countries voted the Insignia first, with the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Golf coming in second and third respectively.
37 cars had been put forward for COTY this year, with just seven short listed for the ultimate award, which represents the most impressive car that has been launched in the last 12 months. Each contender must be on sale in at least five European countries.
Steve Cropley, editor-in-chief of Autocar, COTY’s British-based sponsoring magazine said: ‘We are delighted to be able to deliver good news at such a tough time. The market’s the toughest we’ve seen for 20 years, but nothing alters the fact that the Insignia is a great car…. it deserved to triumph and it did.’
It has been over 20 years since Vauxhall won a COTY award, with the Calton/Omega taking the title in 1987. The Vauxhall Astra was COTY in 1985.
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