The Jeep Avenger has won the European Car of the Year 2023 title

The Jeep Avenger has been announced as Europe’s Car of the Year for 2023.

A panel of 59 motoring journalists from 23 different countries across the continent voted for their favourite new cars of the past 12 months, with the shortlist including the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. (which finished in second place), the Nissan Ariya (third place), the Kia Niro, Peugeot 408, Renault Austral and the Subaru Solterra/Toyota bZ4X.

Each juror is then given a maximum of 25 points to allocate across the shortlist however they see fit in order to find a winner. This year the results were revealed in a Eurovision-style ceremony at the Brussels International Motorshow. Yep, they really did read out each country’s votes one-by-one. 

Our very own juror Paul Horrell said in his assessment of the eventual winner: “This car caught me out. I expected to dislike it but experience proved the opposite. It's very usefully small but drives like a refined bigger car. So it's at home in cities and on the open road as well as in mildly rough going. (More than mildly rough with the coming 4xe.) Interior design and space use commend it too. But neither of its powertrains, EV or combustion, advance the art.”

Delighted or disappointed? You can read each juror’s verdict on every car on the Car of the Year website.