One of the judges, from the Swedish magazine Teknikens Warld, later carried out a "moose avoidance test", in which an A-class swerved violently without braking while loaded to the limit. It was during a Car of the Year test session that one or two of the Scandinavian judges first suspected the car of instability. Its nearest rival, the Golf, collected 266.The Mercedes A-class probably would have won, had it not rolled itself out of contention. The judges then vote from the short list, allocating 25 points across a minimum of four cars Each judge must pick a clear winner The Alfa won easily, gathering 454 points. Each selects his or her top five new cars of the year and a short list of five cars is then determined. This year, the short list consisted of the Alfa, the Golf, the Mercedes A-class, the Audi A6 and the Citroen Xsara. Usually, mainstream family cars win Car of the Year, and the extra sales that go with it. Fifty-six motoring journalists representing all major European countries vote in the Coty competition.

They are usually specialist magazine writers, although there are some newspaper journalists. I say "surprise" not because I was one of the judges who failed to vote for it. (I judged it the second best new car of the year, after the new and staggeringly competent Volkswagen Golf.) Rather, it's rare for a sports saloon to win. But the prize the car industry wants most is European Car of the Year (Coty), and this year the surprise winner is the Alfa Romeo 156.

Numerous magazines have their "Car of the Year" prizes, and there are trophies for everything from best stereo system to dealer of the decade. As with other industries and the arts, there are no shortage of gongs handed out in the car business. This one is faster, smoother, pricier.Peugeot 406 2.0T SRi, pounds 17,885: Competes on power and poise if not the noise.Subaru Impreza Turbo, pounds 19,110: Slightly smaller than Alfa, has huge pace, astounding four-wheel drive roadholding, cult-car character.Volkswagen Passat 1.8T Sport SE, pounds 18,795: Mechanically A4-like but roomier and cheaper.. Fuel consumption: 28-33mpgRivals:Audi A4 1.8T, pounds 21,881: Good-looking, beautifully made, quick and frugal, but less of an interactive driving experience.BMW 323i, pounds 21,840: With the 320i's mysterious departure, there is no direct BMW rival for the 156 2.0. Engine: 1,970cc, four cylinders, 16 valves, 155bhp at 6,400rpm Five-speed gearbox, front-wheel drive Performance: top speed 134mph, 0-60 in 8.4sec. It's been a while since a Car of the Year winner has done that.Alfa 156 2.0 T.Spark 16Vpounds 19,500.