The Peugeot 3008, the French automaker's offering for the mid-size SUV segment, has been named "Car of the Year" by dozens of European motoring journalists.
At a glitzy awards ceremony, Peugeot Group CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato hailed a "fantastic honor" for the recognition.
The award Monday marks the unofficial kickoff for media at this year's Geneva auto show, which is in its 87th edition.
The six other finalists for the award were the Alfa Romeo Giulia, which placed second in the voting, as well as the Citroen C3, Mercedes E-Class, Nissan Micra, Toyota C-HR hybrid, and Volvo S90/V90.
The honor comes the same day that Peugeot parent company PSA Group announced a $2.3 billion deal to buy GM's Opel division. Opel's Astra won the Car of the Year last year, AP reported.