• What Car? reveals shortlist of 48 vehicles that have made the cut to battle it out for the overall Car of the Year award
• Category winners and overall winner of the awards to be announced on 23 January, 2018
• This year’s event marks the 40^th anniversary of the What Car? Car of the Year Awards
• Information on all the shortlist contenders can be found at: https://www.whatcar.com/news/car-of-the-year-shortlist

What Car? has announced the shortlist of 48 new vehicles battling it out to win the coveted overall Car of The Year 2018 accolade, in association with Warranty Direct, at its annual awards ceremony on the 23 January.

The Car of the Year crown will be awarded to a newcomer that has proved itself over all other contenders to be the overall best new car on the UK market.

The expert team of What Car? judges go to great lengths to test each and every contender rigorously, ensuring the final verdict is one consumers can trust, with the winning vehicle delivering on all fronts.

The shortlist includes a wide variety of vehicles, from city cars and hot hatches through family cars and estates to luxury and sports cars. No fewer than 15 SUVs have made the cut, from large and family versions to luxury, reflecting the explosion in popularity of this versatile sector.

Notably, an electric car has also made the shortlist this year, showcasing how far zero-emission technology has leapt forward in the last decade.

The winner from the 48-strong shortlist will succeed the BMW 5 Series 520d SE, which took the prize in 2017. It will be named alongside individual category winners and the winner of the Reader Award, sponsored by ALA GAP Insurance, which reflects the general public’s opinion of the most exciting car due to go on sale in 2018.

What Car? Editor, Steve Huntingford, said: “Our shortlist has grown this year, as the number of outstanding vehicles on the market continues to make choosing the Car of the Year ever more difficult. The level of quality and performance this year has been astounding and means that the overall winner has had to show exceptionally high standards in order to stand out from the crowd.

“For us, this year’s award is a particularly special one, as it marks the 40^th anniversary year of our awards. Throughout the years, our Car of the Year awards have become the most prestigious in the automotive industry and our testing is as rigorous as possible to ensure that only the cream of the crop make the cut. We very much look forward to revealing the category winners and overall title-holder later this month.”

The What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2018 will take place on Tuesday 23 January 2018 at London’s Grosvenor Hotel, Park Lane.