VW press release:
The new Volkswagen Golf has claimed its first award – the inaugural and prestigious accolade of ‘All the car you’ll ever need Car of the Year’ in the TopGear Magazine Awards 2012 – a month before it is even on sale in the UK.
Every TopGear Magazine Award is judged by a group of expert and extremely opinionated motoring journalists, including the presenters of TopGear television. Summing up the judges’ views on the new Golf, TopGear’s Consultant Editor, Paul Horrell, said: ‘Stopped or on the move, it feels like it’s made of stronger materials than the hatches of other nations. Top and bottom: a Golf is no more car than you need, yet it can be all the car you want.
‘Sometimes, it can be hard to find a question for which Golf isn’t the answer. It’s right-sized for the city and nimble in the country. Yet at normal motorway speed, a Golf is more relaxed than many big-tyred luxury barges.’
In recognising the Golf’s achievement, Editor in Chief, Charlie Turner added: ‘For a car to win is recognition of a truly exceptional vehicle. Only the remarkable are even considered for a TopGear Award, and this year, the Golf has proved to be the stand-out machine in its category. The best of the best.’
The seventh-generation Golf was unveiled on 4 September 2012, 38 years and 29 million units after the original model redefined the small family car. Based on the new MQB platform, the new Golf is bigger, lighter and safer than ever, bringing technically advanced features previously reserved for higher classes to a new audience.
