Candidates for 2010 Car of the Year awards announced

Europe’s annual Car of the Year awards is on again and the candidates for the 2010 title have been revealed. As expected, this year’s field includes everything from fuel-efficient minicars to big and brawny luxury saloons and as always some of the choices will be considered quite controversial by many.

To be eligible, the cars need to be already on sale in different European markets or will be available in time for the voting, and therefore meet the eligibility criteria. The contenders must also be new models available in at least five European countries at the time of voting, with foreseeable minimum sales of 5,000 per year.

The awards are judged by a panel of more than 50 members, representing industry experts and journalists from 23 European countries. National representation on the panel is related to the size of the country's car market and its importance in car manufacturing, with France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain topping the list with six members each.

Last year’s winner was the 2009 Opel Insignia sedan, which was picked for its distinctive styling and segment-leading quality. Previous winners included the Fiat 500 in 2008 and the Ford S-Max the year before.

This year’s winner will be announced on November 30.
The 2010 field is listed below:
BMW Z4
Chevrolet Cruze
Citroen C3 Picasso
Ford Ka
Honda Insight
Hyundai i20
Hyundai ix55
Kia Sorento
Kia Soul
Land Rover Discovery IV
Lexus RX 450h
Mazda3
Mercedes E-Class
Mitsubishi Colt
Nissan 370Z
Nissan Cube
Opel/Vauxhall Astra
Peugeot 3008
Porsche Panamera
Renault Scenic
Seat Exeo
Skoda Yeti
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Alto/Nissan Pixo
Toyota Avensis
Toyota iQ
Toyota Prius
Toyota Urban Cruiser
Toyota Verso
Volkswagen Polo