Shortlist of cars battling for Car of the Year 2017 revealed

More than 40 cars will compete for the prestigious 2017 What Car? Car of the Year Award, with the winner set to be revealed on tomorrow night...

Shortlist of cars battling for Car of the Year 2017 revealed

What Car? has announced the shortlist of 43 all-new cars that will compete for the overall title of Car of the Year 2017 at the annual What Car? Awards ceremony tomorrow night.

The overall Car of the Year Award will be given to the best newcomer on the automotive scene, with a diverse spectrum of talented models competing for the top prize, ranging from the nimble Ford Ka+ city car to the likes of the luxurious Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet.

UK buyers continue to drive an explosion in the SUV segment, and no fewer than 13 new SUVs are also in line for the Car of the Year trophy, including the first ever cars of this type from Seat, Jaguar, Bentley, Maserati and Tesla.

Shortlist of cars battling for Car of the Year 2017 revealed

Seat's new Ateca is one of 13 SUVs in contention

The expert team of What Car? judges ensure only the cars that deliver on all fronts from driving dynamics and interior quality to refinement and value for money make the final list.

The winner from the 43-strong shortlist will succeed the Audi A4 which took the prize in 2016, and will be named alongside individual category winners and the winner of the Reader Award, the most exciting car of 2017 as voted for by the public.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “Over the past 12 months, the global automotive industry has delivered nothing short of excellence, producing new cars that are ever more appealing as well as safer and better for the environment.

“Although we also await the announcement of our category winners, the all-new cars on our overall winner shortlist have all brought exceptional qualities to the market and richly deserve their place not only here but also on the shopping lists of motorists.”

With around two million people visiting Whatcar.com every month, securing the title of What Car? Car of the Year is often a very accurate indicator of sales success, placing the car’s talents firmly in the spotlight.

The What Car? Car of the Year awards takes place at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane on 11 January 2017.

What Car? Car of the Year overall winner shortlist:

Alfa Romeo Giulia

Aston Martin DB11

Audi A4 Allroad

Audi A5 Coupé

Audi Q2

Audi R8 Spyder

Audi TT RS

Bentley Bentayga

BMW 5 Series

BMW M2

Citroën C3

Fiat 124 Spider

Ford Edge

Ford Focus RS

Ford Ka+

Honda Civic

Hyundai Ioniq

Jaguar F-Pace

Kia Niro

Maserati Levante

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

Nissan Micra

Peugeot 3008

Porsche Panamera

Renault Megane

Renault Mégane Sport Tourer

Renault Scénic/Grand Scénic

Rolls-Royce Dawn

Seat Ateca

Skoda Kodiaq

Suzuki Baleno

Suzuki Ignis

Tesla Model X

Toyota C-HR

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer

Volkswagen Tiguan

Got a motoring question? Our experts are standing by to help, just tweet us your question using #askwhatcar

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here