The panel of 60 European journalists acclaimed its engine range: electric, petrol or diesel powertrains providing customers with “the power of choice”
The jury also praised the bold design and technology It is the first Peugeot “2 series” to be awarded the prestigious prize.
The all-new Peugeot 208 is the sixth Peugeot to be named “Car of the Year”.
Seven cars were shortlisted as the finalists. Besides the 208, the other candidates were BMW 1 Series, Ford Puma, Porsche Taycan, Renault Clio, Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Corolla.
Peugeot enters the “top 3” of the brands with the most awards in the Car of the Year history, with six trophies.
The 208 follows the 3008 SUV in 2017, the compact hatch 308 in 2014, the 307 in 2002, the 405 in 1988 and the 504 in 1969.
This trophy joins the 12 other international awards the 208 has already won.
“I am particularly proud that the all-new Peugeot 208 has just won the 2020 Car of the Year prize. This trophy underlines the excellence of the work and great commitment of all the teams of the brand and Groupe PSA," said Peugeot Brand CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato.
"The COTY 2020 legitimises the brand’s 'power of choice' strategy."
Nearly 110,000 customers have ordered the new 208 since its launch in Europe last October. Electric versions make up 15% of the mix. In France, the 208 leads the registration rankings of the car market at the end of February 2020.
Founded in 1964, the award is the longest-running and most renowned European prize. The winner is announced every year at the Geneva International Motor Show.
The award ceremony continued despite this year's motor show being cancelled because of the Covid-19 epidemic, which is spreading across Europe. The outbreak started in Wuhan, China.
