The SEAT Leon has been announced as the 'Best Buy Car of Europe in 2021' according to Autobest, the largest European car jury, which includes CompleteCar.ie's own Dave Humphreys. In a closely fought contest, the SEAT Leon narrowly beat the Skoda Octavia by less than one per cent. The Peugeot 2008 ranked in third position, followed by the Toyota Yaris, Citroen C4, Honda Jazz and Dacia Sandero. A full breakdown of the voting can be found at www.autobest.org.
Exceptional finalists in an exceptional year
This year the judging proved to be much more difficult due to the pandemic conditions, while the calibre of cars meant that there were seven finalists rather than the usual five. "In such a complicated and diverse year, Autobest proved its resilience, respecting all the promises made during the year. We followed our tradition and today we release the new Autobest Best Buy of Europe in 2021!", said Dan Vardie, Founder & Chairman of Autobest.
The increasingly relevant Ecobest 2020 award will go to the Honda e, with the jury citing its clever design, unique use of technology for the segment and its engaging character among the many reasons for its success. Highlighting more technical innovations, the jury is giving the Technobest 2020 award to Renault for its E-Tech hybrid drivetrain system that features a clutch-less transmission for both hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. The system will underpin many of the brand's most popular models including the Renault Clio and Renault Captur.
One of Autobest's newer award categories is called 'A Star Is Born', and is designed to recognise new brands and fresh approaches within the industry. For 2020 the award goes to the Citroen Ami, an inexpensive and extremely compact electric vehicle that has already gone on sale and is available to rent in several European cities. Due to its low power output, it can be legally driven by people as young as 14 in certain European countries, and can be leased for less than the cost of a typical mobile phone contract.