European Car of the Year shortlist announced

THE SEVEN CARS that will battle it out to become European Car of the Year (ECOTY) 2014 have been announced.

Decided on by a jury of 53 motoring journalists from across Europe, the shortlists is made up of the BMW i3, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda 3, Mercedes S-Class, Peugeot 308, Skoda Octavia and Tesla Model S.

This is the first time the ECOTY shortlist of contenders has included two electric vehicles with the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S.

The judges will now drive all seven contenders ahead of making their decision on the overall winner, which will be announced at the Geneva Motor Show at the beginning of March.

Whichever car wins, it will take over from the 2013 winner, the Volkswagen Golf.

By Press Association reporters