Car Of The Year Revealed At Autocar Awards
Published: 19th November 2003
Fiat Panda
Contenders for the award were the BMW 5-series, Fiat Panda, Mazda 3, Nissan Micra, Vauxhall Meriva, Toyota Avensis and Volkswagen Golf.
Steve Cropley, Editor-in-Chief, Autocar magazine is one of a panel of six UK judges that were involved in the decision. Speaking about the decision, he said: "This is a perfect example of Fiat getting back to its roots and scoring a much-needed king-hit. Congratulations Fiat, you deserve it!".
A total of 58 senior journalists from 22 countries sit on the Car of The Year judging panel. Their object is to choose the most outstanding new car to go on sale in the past 12 months. Jurors vote twice, first to select a short-list of seven from the new cars launched in Europe - usually 30 to 40 cars - then once again, to choose a single winner. Last year's COTY winner was the Renault Megane, the year before it was Peugeot's 307.
Fiat Auto (UK) Managing Director, Massimo Toso said "We at Fiat are absolutely delighted by this very important award for the all new Fiat Panda.
This new car is the first in a succession of new Fiats that will be arriving in showrooms over the next few years, designed and engineered with Italian flair and passion. We have every confidence that they will be as good as the Panda honoured here today".
Car of The Year is organised by a committee of managers from the seven prominent publications around Europe. Each publication takes it in turn to organise the vote, publicize and promote the contest and hold the prize giving ceremony. The jury is completely independent of the Organising Committee in matters connected with the award itself and the selection of eligible cars and the voting.
The Car of The Year 2004 winner will be announced on November 18th 2003 simultaneously across Europe. The official trophy presentation will take place in Paris in January 2004.
UK Jury
| Steve Cropley | Autocar |
| Ray Hutton | Sunday Times |
| Paul Horrell | Car Mag |
| John Simister | The Independent |
| David Wiliams | Evening Standard |
| Andrew English | Daily Telegraph |
Fiat Panda
Our Fiat Panda Guide lists the full specification of the current UK Panda range, including car prices, fuel consumption, dimensions and other vital data.
Price Range: £7,005 - £10,260
Body Style:
Fuel:
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Models in the range: 8
Our Car Buyer’s Guide covers all of the UK’s major new cars and includes CO2 ratings and car insurance groups. Data updated on the 6th July 2008
