VW Polo Voted World Car of Year

Despite the April 1 date of announcement, the Volkswagen Polo was nobody’s fool at a press conference hosted by Bridgestone Corporation along with the New York International Auto Show and BASF SE – the German hatchback was declared 2010 World Car of the Year. The Polo was chosen from an initial entry list of thirty entries nominated by fifty-nine jurors from twenty-five countries.

The jury voted in January 2010 to establish a top ten shortlist before a second round of voting took place in February in which top ten candidates were rated upon their merit, value, safety, environment, significance and emotional appeal.   The World Car of the Year was chosen from those top ten finalists as tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG.   

The World Car Awards jurors observed that, “Holding its own in the most competitive market segment, the all-new Polo MkV is one of VW’s star performers. Boasting best-in-segment packaging and handling, this supermini’s blend of classy looks, reliability and quality has meant it’s consistently been one the market’s best-sellers. Draped in head-turning stylish curves, the Polo is certainly one of the classiest small VWs ever built. It’s also safe;  generating a maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating. Behind the wheel, the Polo demonstrates mature manners and boasts a superb driving position that’s adjustable and, in common with the latest Golf, all the controls are well weighted and precise. The Polo is just one brilliant supermini.”

The top three contenders for 2010 World Car of the Year title were, in alphabetical order, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Toyota Prius and the Volkswagen Polo. “We’re honoured that the Volkswagen Polo was chosen by this distinguished group of jurors as the 2010 World Car of The Year,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the Volkswagen AG Board of Management. “After the great triumph of the Golf last year, we are delighted to repeat this success with the new Polo. These automobiles have reaped numerous awards, winning well-nigh every prize the automotive industry has to award. This shows Volkswagen is on the right track and is offering arguably the best range of products in its history.”

Other award categories include World Performance Car, which was won by the Audi R8 V10, World Car Design of the Year, a category in which the Chevrolet Camaro proved victorious, and Bridgestone’s sponsored category, World Green Car. Winner in this section was Volkswagen’s Bluemotion range, which includes more fuel efficient versions of the Golf, Passat and Polo. “We are very pleased and honored to sponsor the 2010 World Green Car of The Year,” commented
Ryoji Yamada, Bridgestone’s general manager of Brand Management. “The environment is everyone’s responsibility. And throughout our global family of companies, we take this responsibility very seriously.  We believe it is our mission to serve society with superior quality… not just with eco-friendly products but also in the way we produce those products and the way in which we support our many communities with environmentally-friendly activities such as wildlife habitats and our Lake Biwa initiative in Japan”

“We hope that this sponsorship will help underscore to those in the automotive industry as well as to consumers that tyres can help  vehicles be more fuel efficient,” Yamada continued. “Through our environmentally friendly ‘Ecopia’ tyre brand we expect to help drivers achieve better mileage, and therefore contribute to a more sustainable mobile society.”

The World Car of the Year awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, and are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs. They are not affiliated with any publication, motor show, vehicle manufacturer or other commercial enterprise.