GENEVA — The Volvo XC40, a compact SUV billed by the automaker as “built for city life,” has been named Car of the Year by dozens of European motoring journalists.
At this week’s ceremony, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said he felt “fantastic” that the automaker had won the award after repeated recent attempts to take home the prestigious prize.
The award on Monday marked the unofficial start of the Geneva auto show, now in its 88th edition.
The six other finalists for the award were the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Audi A8, BMW 5-Series, Citroen C3 Aircross, Kia Stinger and Seat Ibiza.
The award is based on seven European magazines, and jury members hail from 23 countries.
Last year’s winner was the Peugeot 3008, the French automaker’s offering for the mid-size SUV segment.
