VW Golf wins World COTY

Volkswagen is still on top of the world after another major Car of the Year win.

The seventh-generation Golf has just cleaned up again in the World Car of the Year judging, repeating the victory a year earlier by the baby Up with success in the 2013 award.It is the fourth win for Volkswagen in the nine-year history of the WCOTY contest.

The new Golf, which arrives in Australia next month, beat 42 starters and trumped three other finalists - the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Porsche Boxster/Cayman and Subaru BRZ-Toyota 86 - in voting by 66 motoring experts in 23 countries.

Two members of the Carsguide crew, Joshua Dowling and Paul Gover, are judges. The WCOTY result was announced last week at the New York motor show, together with winners in three other categories.

The F-Type Jaguar was voted the World Car Design of the Year winner, the Boxster-Cayman twins were declared World Performance Car of the Year and the Tesla Model S was chosen as the World Green Car for 2013.

The WCOTY win for the Golf confirms the car's early favouritism for this year's Carsguide COTY judging, following an impressive preview drive in Europe. Not surprisingly, the success is being trumpeted by Volkswagen. But it is also hinting on future developments for the Golf.

"This car sets new benchmarks again and again, not least in terms of efficiency and environmental credentials. Soon, for instance, the Golf will also be launched as a plug-in hybrid and as a 100 per cent electric car," says Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the board of management at Volkswagen Group.


WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR WINNERS
2013 - Volkswagen Golf
2012 - Volkswagen Up
2011 - Nissan Leaf
2010 - Volkswagen Polo
2009 - Volkswagen Golf
2008 - Mazda2
2007 - Lexus LS460
2006 - BMW 3 Series
2005 - Audi A6

This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover