Golf wins Euro Car of the Year 04 | 03 | 2013

THE VOLKSWAGEN GOLF has scored a massive win in the 2013 European Car of the Year awards (read our roadtest of the latest VW Golf MkVII). The seventh-generation Golf dominated the voting, accruing 414 votes: next closest were the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ which took 202 votes.

Volkswagen’s development boss, Ulrich Hackenberg and design chief Walter de Silva received the award today, on the even of the Geneva Motor Show.

It's the second time the Golf has won the coveted title, the first time being in 1992 with the MkIII. This time round, judges praised the Golf for its “achievements in safety, fuel efficiency, dynamics and comfort”.

The only other car to have been crowned European Car of the Year twice is the Renault Clio.

The Volvo V40 was placed third, just ahead of the Ford B-Max and Hyundai i30. The Mercedes A-class was ranked fifth, followed by the Renault Clio, Peugeot 208 and Hyundai i30.

European Car of the Year results:

Volkswagen Golf — 414 votes

Toyota GT86/Subaru BRZ — 202 votes

Volvo V40 — 89 votes

Ford B-Max — 148 votes

Mercedes A-class — 138 votes

Renault Clio — 128 votes

Peugeot 208 — 120 votes

Hyundai i30 — 111 votes

VW Golf plug-in hybrid due in 2014

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Jim McGill