This year’s magnificent seven took to the French forests last week in a final effort to win the coveted title of Europe’s Car of the Year 2017.

The proving ground of testing body UTAC Ceram is 35km north of Paris in the environs of the rural idyll of Mortefontaine village, which boasts a population of 243. Spread over 190 hectares and hidden behind 10 metre (32ft) walls, the facility is used by car firms for pre-production and development testing. It’s home to seven tracks that offer everything from a 3km speed ring, tilted up to 45 degrees, to a cobblestone section of track that resembles the surfacing on some small European towns. It is here that members of jury of Europe’s Car of the year gather - at a cost of over €20,000 paid for by the jury - to review various iterations of the seven cars.

During two days of tests and discussions jury members debated the features and flaws of the various finalists. Most of us arrived with a firm outline of our pecking order, but the test event can change your scoring.

The main criteria on which the cars are judged: general design, comfort, safety, economy, handling and general roadworthiness, performance, functionality, general environmental requirements, driver satisfaction and price. Technical innovation and value for money are major factors.

With final votes due to be submitted on Friday, we will have to wait until Monday afternoon at the Geneva Motor show to find out who has won. In the meantime here is my take on the finalists.

Nissan Micra

Cynics suggest this just a redressed Renault Clio but the new Micra represents more than the sum of its parts. The last model was conceived as a "world car", designed to appeal to all markets. Therefore, it delighted none, predictably. This, then, is the first Micra in years that you could consider buying. It drives noticeably better than the Citroen C3, although the little petrol engine spends a lot of its time at full screech. Scores for design and because it's monumentally better than the last generation. But that's not enough to win car of the year.

Alfa Romeo Giulia

The Italian saloon harks back to the brand’s enormous heritage and aims to bring it up to date. The best driving car on the track, its handling is crisp and reassuring, the peppy 2.2-litre diesel is eager enough to challenge any similar-sized petrol counterpart and the more you drive it, the more you want to drive it. Yet it still seems well behind the fit and finish of rivals, while the tech seems relatively clunky already. With its future still in question and revolution in the air across the automotive world, Alfa needs to focus a lot more on the future and stop harking back to the past.

Citroen C3

The Citroen doesn’t drive as well as the Nissan Micra or many of the rivals already on the market. Yet it has more charm and character in its dashboard than the rest of the cars in this segment put together. The French firm claims it’s engineered for comfort, which on the road means it bounces along and leans into corners. The small 82bhp petrol engine is the best one to drive, while some tech features such as the optional built-in camera are a bit of a gimmick. Yet for a car that will spend most of its time in town traffic, it has some of the character we normally associate with heritage cars such as the Mini and Fiat 500. Far from flawless, but it has great charm.

Toyota C-HR

The C-HR supposedly represents the future of Toyota. The message is "no more boring cars". If this proves to be the case then this truly is a landmark car. The styling divides opinion – l like it – and the cabin and finish is worthy of the premium Lexus brand. The new TNGA platform – a modular unibody platform that underpins the model – handles really well. Where it is let down is in the powertrains. The engineers claim this car was built for dynamic European driving tastes, but the hybrid powertrain is ill-suited to such driving styles. It spends too much time in high revs and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) auto transmission doesn't help matters. The 1.2-litre petrol is by far the better version to drive, but this crossover is crying out for a more powerful engine.

Volvo S90

A tough call on the Volvo, for it is within a hair’s breadth of taking the lead on the Mercedes. You have to admire the amazing leadership at the Swedish brand. This is a car firm truly operating like a start-up and taking on rivals with much deeper wallets. The S90 scores for innovation, styling and individuality, something premium car buyers badly need. If your primary interest is in comfort and refinement – with some fancy tech – then the Volvo delivers, but the handling simply is not as sharp as the Mercedes, nor are the smaller diesel engines as refined. So close though.

Peugeot 3008

A revolutionary offering by a French brand that teetered on the brink of financial ruin around the same time engineers were developing this car. There must have been times when they thought it would never make the road. What a comeback. It might look like just another SUV/crossover but inside it’s a revolution.

Peugeot has pulled out all the stops in the cabin and it’s the most sophisticated offering from the brand I can remember. It also drives really well, particularly with the 1.6-litre diesel with automatic transmission. The petrol delivers as well. A car that easily copes with cross-country motorway runs or short school hops, this is the best family car Peugeot has offered in many years. More of this please.

Mercedes E-Class

Of course the Mercedes E-Class is good. It would need to be given the billions the car firm has invested in its development. Reportedly €2 billion was spent on a new range of 2.0-litre diesel engines for the E-Class which will eventually trickle through to the rest of its model range.

It is indicative of the level of attention that has gone in to creating the new E-Class, a car that has to take on the might of BMW and Audi, and see off challengers from Jaguar, Lexus and Volvo too.

That the E-Class does it all with such aplomb is evidence of money well spent. The new diesel engine is excellent – powerful, economical and much more refined than the old 2.1-litre unit.

The cabin is gorgeous and impressively over-engineered and the handling is surprisingly engaging, without a downside in ride quality. From driving assistance systems offering a glimpse at autonomous driving to eco-friendly versions and anawesome AMG model, the E-Class tops its class.

It keeps pace with the various strands of revolution underway in the automotive world, but still remains an incredibly good car to drive.