Seven cars have been shortlisted as finalists for Car of the Year 2010.
The selections have been made from a list of 33 candidates, representing 23 manufacturers and covering a wide range of size and body styles.
Candidates must be new models - or available soon in at least five European markets - and must have the prospect of selling upwards of 5,000 units.
The seven cars chosen include two French multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) - Citroen's C3 Picasso and the Peugeot 3008 - while more traditional hatchbacks are represented by the Volkswagen Polo and Vauxhall Astra.
Skoda's Yeti family car stands out for its light off-road capability, while the large Mercedes E-Class and Toyota's diminutive iQ city car represent two extremes of size.
The title will be decided by the votes of 58 motoring journalists from 22 European countries, with the winner to be announced on 30 November.
In a close contest for Car of the Year 2009, Vauxhall's Insignia pipped the new Ford Fiesta by a single point - the first time that Vauxhall had won the accolade despite having been runner up four times.
