Opel Ampera is 2012 Car of the Year

 The Opel Ampera has been named the 2012 Car of the Year in Geneva, one day before the Swiss automotive event will officially open its gates for the media.

After being voted as the 2012 Car of the Year in Denmark in late 2011, the Opel Ampera has just won the prestigious 2012 Car of the Year award, beating the Volkswagen Up!, who received the “silver medal” and the new Ford Focus, which caught the third place. The 2012 Car of the Year has been voted by a jury of 59 automotive journalists, who had to choose between seven models in the last stage: the Citroen DS5 (which also received the 2012 Gay Car of the Year award), the Fiat Panda, the Ford Focus, the Range Rover Evoque, the Toyota Yaris, the Volkswagen Up! and the Chevrolet Volt / Opel Ampera.

The main battle was taken between the Opel Ampera, the Volkswagen Up! and the new Ford Focus, and the General Motors vehicle managed to win the prestigious award. Even if the same car is being sold under different brands, the Chevrolet Volt and the Opel Ampera, both manufacturers can use the 2012 Car of the Year award for the model. This is the second time when an alternative powertrain vehicle is being named Car of the Year, after the 2011 edition was won by the Nissan Leaf, with its electric motor.