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THE LIST OF contenders for the European Car of the Year (ECOTY) has been announced – and includes the overall winner of the 2013 Tow Car Awards, the Skoda Octavia.

There are seven contenders for the prize, which is judged by an international jury of 58 motoring journalists. The Citroën C4 Picasso, Mazda 3, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Peugeot 308 are on the shortlist, as are the electric-powered BMW i3 and Tesla S.

The winner will be announced at the Geneva motor show next March.

As well as the Skoda, we’ve also driven the Citroën, Mazda and Peugeot. We’re inviting all three of these cars – and dozens more besides – to take on the Skoda at the 2014 Tow Car Awards.

Preparations are already underway for our week of testing at the MIRA proving ground. The results will be revealed in June, by which time the Octavia could have added the European Car of the Year title to its Tow Car Awards win.