THE CITROEN C3 Aircross represents the best value car for European buyers as decided by a jury of 31 Autobest members, including TheJournal.ie’s Dave Humphreys.

It saw off competition from five other nominees – the Ford Fiesta, Honda Civic, Opel Grandland X, SEAT Ibiza and Volkswagen T-Roc. It was the first year in Autobest history that six finalists were competing for the title.

Points were awarded for price, service network, spare parts distribution and versatility as well as design and new technologies.

In the end, the Citroen won with a total of 1,423 points – an advantage of 121 points over its nearest rival, the Opel Grandland X. The Volkswagen T-Roc ranked third followed by the SEAT Ibiza, Ford Fiesta and Honda Civic.

Irish Autobest jury member Dave Humphreys said:

The Citroen C3 Aircross not only stands out with its unique design but also the value for money proposition combined with its impressive driving qualities for the segment. While the standard of competition was exceptionally high this year, for me, the Citroen C3 Aircross was the best overall package.

In Ireland, the Citroen C3 Aircross is available in three trim levels – Touch, Feel, and Flair – and has eight body colours, three roof colours and four Color Packs offering a full 85 combinations. The range starts at €20,695 for the 82hp 1.2-litre Puretech petrol model in Touch trim, which is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. Emissions are 116g/km placing it in Tax Band A4 which is €200 a year.

You can read our road test review of the Citroen C3 Aircross here.

READ: Renault Ireland donates seven cars to the Irish Community Rapid Response >

READ: Ford has revamped its baby EcoSport SUV (and it comes with all-wheel drive) >