Seven contenders for European Car of the Year 2016

Seven contenders for the European Car of the Year 2016 award, which will be announced prior to the Geneva Motor Show in February, have been confirmed.

This year’s shortlist is a very strong one with several seriously good candidates vying for what is the most prestigious car award in Europe and which is deeply coveted by every manufacturer.

Opel’s excellent new Astra is among the favourites to win out this year, followed by such as the truly-exceptional Skoda Octavia, the latest version of Mazda’s brilliant MX-5 roadster, the terribly sophisticated Audi A4, the new incarnation of BMW’s luxobarge 7 Series, Jaguar’s terrific XE and the car which was our own Car of the Year here at Examiner Motoring, the new Volvo XC90.