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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.

Kia scoops three design awards

Kia has won three design awards in this year's Automotive Brand Contest, continuing its strong showing in last year's competition. The second-generation cee'd, launched in June, topped the exterior category table as well as receiving an honorary special mention for exceptional innovation in the interior category. The car's exterior features a chrome-framed glasshouse and muscular lines on the bonnet, while inside an ergonomic, driver-oriented control panel impressed the judges enough to receive the special mention.

Trio of Range Rover Hybrid prototypes completes trek from Solihull to Mumbai

A team of three Range Rover Hybrid prototypes has just completed a 53-day journey from Solihull, England to Mumbai, India. The route retraced the centuries-old Silk Trail, taking the team through 13 countries. The trucks and drivers experienced just about every type of terrain, as well as temperatures ranging from -10 degrees Celsius to 43 degrees Celsius, the latter translating to a very uncomfortable 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit.