Toyota Yaris is named 2021 European Car of the Year

The Toyota Yaris has been named as the 2021 European Car of the Year, the hatch finishing ahead of the new Fiat 500 and Cupra Formentor. The new Yaris, which debuted in late 2019, received 266 points and 14 individual first-place votes to take the coveted gong.

The Fiat finished second with 240 points and nine first-place votes, just squeezing ahead of the third-placed Cupra, which received 239 points and 10 top votes. Finishing fourth was the Volkswagen ID.3, which garnered 224 points and 10 first-place votes.

The rest of the finalists were the Skoda Octavia, which received 199 points, the Land Rover Defender, which obtained 164 points and the Citröen C4, which had 143 points. Judging was carried out by a jury of 59 members from 22 countries across the Continent.

The annual award was held at the ECO Palexpo, the usual venue for Geneva International Motor Show, which was again cancelled for this year. As it was last year, when Covid-19 cancelled the 2020 show, the COTY ceremony was broadcasted online. The Yaris takes over the crown from the previous winner, the Peugeot 208.