Citroën’s C3 Aircross wins AUTOBEST 2018

That sound you hear is champagne corks popping across the way in Paris. Citroën’s new C3 Aircross has just driven off with the AutoBest ‘Best Buy Car of Europe’ award’ for 2018.

In the centre circle for AutoBest, the European journalists’ awards organisation, stood six cars for this year’s highly competitive shoot-out. Once all the votes had been tallied, however, it was the C3 Aircross compact SUV that emerged as the clear victor in this year’s race.

Not that this was easy for the C3 Aircross had to face down some tough opposition, the new Ford Fiesta, Honda Civic, Vauxhall/Opel Grandland X, Volkswagen T-Roc and SEAT Ibiza in the battle for AutoBest 2018 honours.

In the AutoBest calendar, there’s normally a ‘Final Five’ winter decider to pick out the AutoBest overall winner, but this year, for the first time, we had a ‘Final Six.’ No pressure, then….

AutoBest jurors thus gathered in Italy for the test that centred on and around the Vairano test track near Milan owned by Italy’s Quattroruote magazine. First, came the on-driving on Day one. Then on Day two, it was time to hit the track. Who would shine?

Co-inciding with the test sessions, representatives of all six manufacturers then presented their cars in detail to the AutoBest jury one after another during a lengthy and instructive evening session at the track. This was a fascinating exercise all in itself….

And so, in the end, here’s what it all came down to. The envelope, please….