The Golden Steering Wheel awards -- presented by Auto Bild and Bild am Sonntag and voted for by their readers every year since 1976 - honor the best cars of the year in each major market segment.

And while Alfa scoped the overall award for looks, Jaguar also celebrated winning in the Saloon car (sedan) category with the XF, beating the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class in the process.

Tesla failed to take home an award for its green car credentials but it did cause a stir by winning the best SUV award with the Model X.

Elsewhere, Audi took home two prizes for best compact SUV (the Audi Q2), while its latest-generation A5 Coupé was declared the best sportscar of 2016. 

But the biggest surprise was BMW winning in the best electric/hybrid category for the i3 for the second time. Although the basic car hasn't changed in the three years since its launch, earlier this year its battery was significantly overhauled almost doubling its range between recharges. As such it becomes the first car to scoop the green award twice (2013 and 2016).