Unfortunately for us, it's not one we can get here at the moment. Geographic availability aside, this year's top prize went to the new Opel Astra.
The C-segment hatchback took a victorious 312 points, edging out a win over the Volvo XC90 and its 294 points. A greater number of panelists nominated the Mazda MX-5 Miata as their favorite, but the combined scores only awarded the Japanese roadster a total of 202 points. That was still enough, however, to edge out the other finalists, including the Audi A4, Jaguar XE, Skoda Superb, and BMW 7 Series.
The Astra is GM's European challenger to the likes of the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. It's marketed as a Vauxhall in the UK, an Opel in continental Europe, a Holden in Australia, and as the Buick Verano Hatch in China.
The award is handed out by a combined panel of 58 jurists representing Auto in Italy, Autocar in the UK, Autopista in Spain, Autovisie in the Netherlands, L'Automobile in France, Stern in Germany, and Vibilägare in Sweden.
