Something exciting might win Car of the Year in Europe

The finalists for 2018's European Car of the Year contest have been announced. And wouldn’t you believe it, they’re all exciting, interesting or a lovely mix of the two. That’s not always been the case, and the 2017 winner – the Peugeot 3008 – is the boldest looking for many a year.

It looks like 2018’s could be even more bolder. Among the seven finalists – from which a winner will be announced in March – are the Kia Stinger, Volvo XC40 and Alfa Romeo Stelvio. They look cool, they’re (mostly) fun to drive and they’re not the cheapest, most sensible options in their class. For those of us who care about cars, it’s promising news. A bit of soul clearly matters.

Some European Car of the Year insight from TG’s juror, Paul Horrell

The remaining four finalists are hardly dull either. There’s the tech-packed new Audi A8 and BMW 5 Series at the luxurious end of the spectrum, and the jazzy, handy Citroen C3 Aircross and smart, VW-gazumping Seat Ibiza if you’d like the winner to be more family-focused. If we were to hedge our bets, one of the latter two may be more likely to win to keep things real, but both would be deserving of an honour in our experience.

For now, get to know the candidates below, and let us know which would get your vote at the bottom...

“I can’t find any glaring compromises, no loose interior trim, no packaging compromises or electronic glitches. The only obvious Alfa-ness is the exterior design – a gratuitous collection of curves and bulges, narrowed LED eyes and appealing proportions.”

Top Gear’s Alfa Romeo Stelvio review

“A big, important barge of a thing relatively few will buy, and a technical achievement few have the resources or engineering might to match or surpass. It’s the new Audi A8 – the cleverest Audi of all. If you really want to see what a manufacturer is truly capable of engineering, you look at its flagship. And the A8 is and always has been Audi’s.”

Top Gear’s Audi A8 review

“Steering weight, grip, traction, body roll and cornering balance are all spot-on – you can conduct a 5 Series down a twisty road in great serenity. Meanwhile, ride comfort, at least when the adaptive damper box is ticked, rarely puts a foot wrong: it’s on the comfy side of sporting.”

Top Gear’s BMW 5 Series review

“Don’t be misled if anyone calls the Aircross a Juke competitor. Sure, the Nissan was first into the little crossover market, but it’s hopelessly cramped for families or lifestyle. This C3 is better. It's more individual than many of the mini-crossover crop, and more comfortable too.”

Top Gear’s Citroen C3 Aircross review

“To drive, the Stinger is actually nicely sorted, particularly the ultimate GT S version, which is fast, forgiving and more agile than its size or weight suggests. And with so much equipment as standard, it also manages to feel like tremendous value, offering so much that the Germans leave on the options list.”

Top Gear’s Kia Stinger review

“Seat’s average owner is ten years younger than the rest of the VW Group, so the Ibiza’s kit list includes stuff young buyers want. More than half the line-up has a terrific eight-inch media and connectivity system. Full-LED headlamps, phone mirroring and Beats audio are reasonably priced options.”

Top Gear’s Seat Ibiza review

If you have trouble telling your BMW X1s from your X3s and X5s, you’ll note Volvo hasn’t taken the same reiterative approach to design. They went to the trouble of thinking of some new lines and shapes that you can tell it apart from an XC60 and XC90. Volvo’s first small SUV is nicely distinctive, and it’d be impressive even if they'd been practicing for years.”

Top Gear’s Volvo XC40 review