The What Car? nominations have been announced for European car of the year.

What Car? has revealed the nominees for its annual Car of the Year Awards 2016.

The What Car? Awards are some of the most highly prized automotive accolades by both car manufacturers and the car-buying public combined, because What Car? experts ensure that only the vehicles that deliver exceptionally against strict exacting criteria are shortlisted.

The Pictures below are a representation of

those nominated, and not to be confused 

with what may or may not win any of the awards.

The hugely important Reader Award is one of the most heavily contested, because it acts as a strong indicator of public sentiment towards new cars being brought to market in the next 12 months.

A new category is also making its debut at the 2016 Awards: the Compact Executive Car, for which challengers include the Jaguar XE, Skoda Superb, and Toyota Avensis.

The most coveted of all the trophies up for grabs is the overall Car of the Year Award. The car that will be crowned as overall winner will have to beat the rest of the best across the event’s 18 separate categories.

21* British-built cars have made the long list. Among those, Land Rover models have received nominations across four categories: Small SUV (Land Rover Range Rover Evoque); Large SUV (Land Rover Range Rover Sport); (Land Rover Discovery Sport); Luxury Car (Land Rover Range Rover); and the Reader Award (Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible).

Similarly Jaguar, which builds the F-Type Coupé (Coupé Award); Jaguar XE (Compact Executive Car, Safety Award); Jaguar XF (Large Executive Car, Safety Award); Jaguar XJ (Luxury Car); and the Jaguar F-Pace (Reader Award) in the UK has also received nominations across six categories respectively.

What Car? editorial director Jim Holder said: “It’s a hugely exciting time of the year for us in the automotive business, because the build-up for the What Car? Car of the Year Awards is properly underway and we can now announce the 2016 Awards contenders.

“The job our panel of experts must undertake to determine not only the best performing car in each category, but then the overall What Car? Car of the Year for 2016 is an incredibly rigorous one, because each car must be stand-out and our overall winner, extraordinary.

“Each of those car manufacturers who have made our long list, have done so for reasons of some outstanding individual quality in their latest vehicles.

“Out a total of 138, 21 are built here in the UK, something we should all celebrate.”

Awards are only given to the cars which set the highest standards in their class and only the best of these will be named What Car? Car of the Year 2016. In 2015, the Skoda Fabia was crowned the overall winner.

The 2016 Car of the Year Awards take place on 13 January, 2016 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, London.

The Nominations are :-

21* British-built cars

Bentley Continental GT
Bentley Mulsanne
Honda Civic Type R
Honda Jazz
Jaguar F-Pace
Jaguar F-Type Coupé
Jaguar XE
Jaguar XF
Jaguar XJ
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Land Rover Range Rover
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
McLaren 570S
Mini Clubman
Mini Cooper 5dr
Mini Cooper JCW
Nissan Qashqai
Range Rover Evoque Convertible
Rolls-Royce Ghost II
Vauxhall Astra 

WHAT CAR? AWARDS 2016 LONG LIST
In association with Warranty Direct

CITY CAR
Sponsor: Warranty Direct
Hyundai i10
Fiat 500
Skoda Citigo
Smart Forfour
Smart Fortwo
Suzuki Celerio
Vauxhall Viva
Volkswagen Up

SMALL CAR
Skoda Fabia
Audi A1
Dacia Sandero
Honda Jazz
Mini Cooper 5dr
Seat Ibiza
Suzuki Baleno

FAMILY CAR
Skoda Octavia
Audi A3 Sportback
DS 4
Ford Focus
Kia Cee’d
Hyundai i30
Nissan Pulsar
Vauxhall Astra

ELECTRIC CAR
Audi A3 e-tron
VW Passat GTE
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Renault Zoe Expression
Tesla Model S

COUPE
Audi TT
Ford Mustang
Bentley Continental GT
Jaguar F-Type Coupé
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé
Seat Leon SC

ESTATE CAR
Ford Mondeo Estate
Audi A4 Avant
BMW 3 Series Touring
BMW 5 Series Touring
Kia Cee'd Sportswagon
Mini Clubman
Skoda Superb Estate
Skoda Fabia Estate
Subaru Levorg

MPV
Citroën Grand C4 Picasso
BMW 2 Series Grand Tourer
Citroën C3 Picasso
Ford C-Max
Ford Grand C-Max
Ford S-Max
Ford Galaxy
Seat Alhambra
Volkswagen Sharan
Volkswagen Touran

HOT HATCH 
Ford Fiesta ST
BMW M135i
Honda Civic Type R
Mini Cooper JCW
Peugeot 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport
Peugeot 308 GTI 270
Renault Clio RS220 Trophy
Suzuki Swift Sport

CONVERTIBLE
Audi A3 Cabriolet
Audi TT Roadster
BMW 4 Series Convertible
Citroën DS3 Cabriolet
Fiat 500C
Mazda MX-5
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet
Volkswagen Beetle Cabriolet

SMALL SUV
Nissan Qashqai
Audi Q3
BMW X1
Citroën C4 Cactus
Fiat 500X
Ford Ecosport
Honda HR-V
Hyundai Tucson
Infiniti Q30
Jeep Renegade
Kia Sportage
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Mazda CX-3
Renault Captur
Renault Kadjar
Ssangyong Tivoli
Suzuki Vitara

LARGE SUV
Sponsor: CAP/HPI
Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Audi Q7
BMW X3
Hyundai Santa Fe
Kia Sorento
Mazda CX-5
Land Rover Discovery Sport
Lexus RX
Mercedes-Benz GLC
Mercedes-Benz GLE
Volvo XC90

COMPACT EXECUTIVE CAR
Sponsor: Allianz Global Assistance
Audi A4
BMW 3 Series
DS 5
Ford Mondeo
Jaguar XE
Kia Optima
Skoda Superb
Toyota Avensis
Volkswagen Passat

LARGE EXECUTIVE CAR
Sponsor: Allianz Global Assistance
BMW 5 Series
Audi A7 Sportback
Jaguar XF
Mercedes-Benz CLS
Porsche Panamera

SPORTS CAR
Porsche Boxster
Audi R8
Ferrari 488 GTB
McLaren 570S
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT
Porsche 911 Carrera

LUXURY CAR
Sponsor: NEC
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Bentley Mulsanne
BMW 7 Series
Jaguar XJ
Land Rover Range Rover
Rolls-Royce Ghost II 

SAFETY AWARD
Sponsor: Thatcham Research
Audi A4
Audi Q7
BMW X1
Honda HR-V
Honda Jazz
Hyundai Tucson
Infiniti Q30
Jaguar XE
Jaguar XF
Lexus RX
Mercedes-Benz GLC
Skoda Superb
Suzuki Vitara
Toyota Avensis
Vauxhall Astra
Volkswagen Touran
Volvo XC90

READER AWARD
Sponsor: CAP/HPI
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Bentley Bentayga
Fiat 124 Spider
Ford Focus RS
Honda NSX
Jaguar F-Pace
Range Rover Evoque Convertible
Tesla Model X
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Tiguan