Volkswagen Golf 6 Wins World Car of the Year

Apparently we aren’t the only ones impressed with the new Volkswagen Golf mk6. A group of 59 automotive journalists just named VW’s venerable hatchback World Car of the Year. 51 cars were nominated, a short list of 10 were selected to be judged. Of the top ten, three finalists were selected; the Golf, the Ford Fiesta and the Toyota IQ. Cars were judged on merit, value, safety, environmental impact and emotional appeal. The Volkswagen obviously represents the best in all these categories combined.

We drove the Golf earlier this year and were extremely impressed. We called it the best value in entry-level cars on the market. The build quality and materials used are simply unmatched. A consumer can spend a lot more on a car and not get as nice of interior as you will find in the Golf. The new mk6 isn’t remarkably different from the mk5 that it replaces. It is however more refined, stiffer, quieter and better looking by a long shot.

While the Golf has always been a top seller throughout the world, it has always been over shadowed and outsold in the US market by its platform mate the Jetta. For some reason Americans are resistant to hatchbacks, even though they represent a much more usable package than a similarly sized sedan. Apparently a glorified truck is cool for families, but something that still handles and stops well while achieving great gas mileage, that’s uncool. 

The new Golf will hit US showrooms later this year. We expect pricing to similar to the current Rabbit. Some the coolest options from European models won’t make it to North America like adjustable suspension, active cruise control and automatic parking. Even without the high end options, the new VW Golf mk6 is still the best bang for the buck going.

World Car of the Year