Toyota Yaris Named 2021 European Car Of The Year

The Toyota Yaris has been named the 2021 European Car of the Year.

When all was said and done, the 59 person jury awarded the Yaris 266 points and 14 best votes. That beat the second place Fiat 500, which received 240 points and 9 best votes.

Rounding out the competitors was the Cupra Formentor (239 points), Volkswagen ID.3 (224 points), Skoda Octavia (199 points), Land Rover Defender (164 points) and Citröen C4 (143 points). The Yaris also beat nearly two dozen other models – such as the Audi A3, BMW 4-Series and Mercedes S-Class – which didn’t make it to the final round of voting.

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While it may seem strange the Yaris got the nod over more expensive competitors, the organization deemed it a “deserving winner” that has been “matured and refined in every aspect: looks, perceived quality, safety and comfort equipment, performance and handling too.” The model was also praised for having a “lively” 1-liter engine, hybrid technology and a bonkers GR variant.

The praise can be found in juror excerpts, which said the Yaris is a “very good all-rounder in its segment that offers top of class safety features.” The redesigned model was also credited for being fun to drive, fuel efficient and reliable.

Buyers seem to agree as Toyota was quick to point out the Yaris was recently named the best-selling car in Europe. The company also noted this is the second win for the Yaris as it was previously named European Car of the Year in 2000.