- The jury for this election is traditionally composed of 58 automotive journalists from 22 European countries.

- Among the 35 new products launched in Europe last year, only 8 were nominated to compete for  the valuable prize. In alphabetical order, here is the list of nominees: Ford B-Max, Hyundai i30, Mercedes A Class, Peugeot 208, Renault Clio IV GT86/Subaru BRZ Toyota, Volkswagen Golf VII Volvo V40.

- The Audi A3, BMW 3 Series, the Dacia Sandero II, Fiat 500L, the Kia Cee'd and Adam Opel have not be retained.

- Unlike the two previous years (in 2011 :  Nissan Leaf -  in 2012 : Chevrolet Volt / Opel Ampera), the Car of the Year will not be a hybrid or electric model, but a classic combustion engine vehicle.

Data source: File #10 - Start of Production (SOP) in Europe of new and modified vehicles