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The Volkswagen Golf VI was chosen from an initial entry list of 51 cars. Judges described it as feeling ``more expensive than other family hatches, thanks to its solid build and high quality cabin (and) more refined than its rivals’’.
The top three contenders for 2009 World Car of the Year title were, in alphabetical order, the Volkswagen Golf VI, the Volkswagen Golf VI and the Volkswagen Golf VI.
The cars were from a list 59 World Car jurors from 25 countries throughout the world, including News Limited Australia’s national motoring editor, Paul Gover.
Each juror was appointed by the World Car Steering Committee on the basis of his or her expertise, experience, credibility, and influence. Previous World Car of the Year winners were the Mazda2 in 2008, the Lexus LS460 in 2007, the BMW 3-Series in 2006, and the Audi A6 in 2005.
The 2009 World Performance Car award went to the Nissan GT-R, beating the Corvette ZR1 and the Porsche 911 Carrera. ``This GT-R – the R35 – throws even former GT-Rs into the weeds via an all-new 3.6-liter bi-turbo V-8. The drive of the GT-R, especially on a track, reveals an incredibly flexible all-wheel-drive chassis that lays down the rubber whenever you request it,’’ judges said.
The Honda FCX Clarity was declared the 2009 World Green Car, with expert environmental judges saying is ``an utterly real, hydrogen-fuelled luxury sedan that provides the amenities people expect in a premium car’’.
Meanwhile, the Fiat 500 was awarded the 2009 World Car Design of the Year. “Icon is an overused word in the automotive world, but the Fiat 500 dating from 1957 genuinely deserves the sobriquet. Revived by Fiat last year, the new Cinquecento is larger than its predecessor but still smaller than a Mini. Cheerful and cheeky, it does a brilliant job of capturing the visual appeal of the original version while meeting modern design and engineering standards.’’
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