Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor and Irish representative on the Car of the Year jury
My votes for Car of the Year in Europe 2007 were as follows:
Opel Corsa 7 points
Skoda Roomster 5 points
Citroën C4 Picasso 4 points
Honda Civic 4 points
Ford S-Max 3 points
Peugeot 207 1 point
Fiat Grande Punto 1 point
It was a year with a record number of entries and yet no one car stood out from the fray to warrant a really convincing victory. Several, however, made enough dramatic improvements to warrant serious appraisal.
The Opel Corsa has made enormous strides forward, both in terms of styling and drivability. The exterior is better suited to the youthful image Opel is keen to portray, but it's the interior where the major improvements set a new standard that the rest of the Opel range would do well to follow. The smaller engines are eager and the ride and handling matches comfort and sportiness in the right proportions.
Skoda's Roomster was a big surprise this year. It may not appeal to all tastes, given its rather quirky design, but inside it's a little wonder. The variation of seating combinations and flexibility is on a par with the best on the market and yet it's very competitively priced. Behind the wheel you get the feeling of a proper saloon; in the back all the flexibility of a fully-fledged people carrier.
Citroën's C4 Picasso pushes the French brand's people carrying entrant right up the league in terms of quality. Aimed to fit between the ongoing Xsara Picasso and the C8, it has the look and feel of a more premium entrant than either of the other two and any of its competitors. Awash with technology, most of it is rather useful to the driver and even the robotic gearbox is impressive, once you get used to it. There's excellent visibility and some traditional French flair when it comes to comfort.
Honda's new Civic really makes a statement, even if the interior is a little too space-age for many tastes. It's also lost some of its driving sparkle.
Yet it feels as solid as one would expect from a serious Japanese contender and the introduction of a hybrid version - admittedly scraping into the Civic range largely on name - really adds to the range on offer. The smaller 1.4-litre engine is too noisy for our tastes and the I-Shift gearbox is a bit clunky, but the Civic returns to a sporting pedigree that past it by in recent generations.
Ford's S-Max adds some sport to the traditionally practical people carrier market. The best of these high-set MPVs to drive, it proves that family life doesn't always have to mean sacrificing fun for family.
The Fiat Grande Punto has fantastic styling but doesn't live up to the image inside or behind the wheel.