Triple triumph for VW

By Bill McLauchlan

After winning this year’s European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards, the Volkswagen Golf has picked up its third major international car trophy.

At the Car of the Year Japan awards ceremony held in conjunction with the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, the Volkswagen Golf achieved a first for imported cars when it captured the Car of the Year Japan award. In the 34-year history of the awards, no foreign car has won the award. Until now.

Shigeru Shoji, president of Volkswagen Japan, proudly holds the Japan Car of the Year trophy.

In a contest that was expected to see the Golf trade blows with the Honda Fit (Jazz in some world markets) for honours, the Golf polled strongly from the outset and ended up amassing a commanding 504 votes from the 60 jurors in attendance. The Fit/Jazz came in second with 373 votes and Volvo’s V40 was third with 167 votes.

“This is a very special award for us in so many ways. The Golf has become the first imported car to win this award, and we achieved this in our 60th year since Volkswagen imports started into Japan,” commented Shigeru Shoji, president of Volkswagen Japan.

In three new minor awards that were introduced this year, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) picked up the ‘Innovation Award,’ the Mazda Atenza (sold here as the Mazda6) won the ‘Emotional Award’ and the jointly developed Suzuki Spacia and Mazda Flair Wagon minicars captured the ‘Small Mobility Award.’

The ‘Special Achievement Award’ went to the Daihatsu Move for its front seat lift design, technology created to assist senior citizens and people with disabilities.