Fiat's retro-styled 500 city car has been named "Car of the Year" by European motoring journalists. The 500 won the title with a significant lead over the Mazda2 and the Ford Mondeo.
The quirky small car, due for launch in Ireland next month, harks back to the original Cinquecento version, which was launched 50 years ago and became an icon of Italian design.
The Fiat 500
Fiat is hoping for the same nostalgia-based success as BMW has had with the Mini. The Car of the Year title is awarded by a panel of 58 journalists from across Europe.
Michael McAleer, motoring editor of The Irish Timesrepresented Ireland on the panel.
The Fiat scored 385 points, receiving votes from 57 of the 58 journalists and the highest scores awarded by 33 of the journalists.
It had a substantial lead over second place Mazda2, with 325 points, while the Ford Mondeo finished some way behind with 202 points.
PSA's Peugeot 308 was at the bottom of the list of seven short-listed contenders, behind the Kia Cee'd, the Nissan Qashqai and Mercedes' C-Class.
The interior of the Fiat 500
Along with awarding points, each jurist must submit reasons for their votes. Most comments focus on the car's quirky retro design, while accepting it is something of a marketing ploy by the Italian marque, but also praised the car's build quality and city handling.
Fiat last won the title in 2004 for its Panda city car - upon which the new 500 is based - and has now won the European title 12 times, starting in 1967 with the 124.
Last year's winner was the Ford S-Max people carrier.