Hat Trick for Volkswagen at Auto Express New Car Awards 2011

BOTANY, AUSTRALIA – Aug 3, 2011: Volkswagen has won a trio of honours at the Auto Express New Car Awards 2011, with class victories for the Golf and Golf GTI, as well as a triumph for the BlueMotion range.

The awards recognise the best cars on sale today, as judged by the editorial team at Auto Express. Both new and existing models are eligible and the best vehicles in every class are selected for an award.

For the third year in a row, the Golf has been awarded the title of Best Compact Family Car. Auto Express acting editor Graham Hope said: “The all-conquering Golf has turned winning Auto Express road tests into an art form and the beauty of the handsome hatchback is that there is something in the range for everyone. Whichever model you choose, you’re guaranteed the best cabin quality in the sector, as well as superb refinement and affordable running costs.”

The Golf, now in its sixth generation, has accounted for over 28 million sales worldwide since it was launched in 1974, making it the most popular model Volkswagen has ever produced, surpassing the 21 million sales achieved by the original Beetle.

The second award was won by the most iconic iteration of the Golf – the Golf GTI – which retained the title of Best Hot Hatch for the third year running. Despite 35 years having passed since the Golf GTI was launched, the car that defines the hot hatch remains the benchmark in its class.

Graham Hope added: “The Golf’s talented underpinnings can easily handle the GTI’s extra power, and its spacious cabin and high-quality trimmings help to make our winner both hugely desirable and very easy to live with.”

The third award went to Volkswagen’s BlueMotion range, the umbrella term for a raft of innovations that help to cut the cost of motoring by making every drop of fuel take you further.

Graham Hope commented: “The winner of our inaugural Green Award could have been a car, a person or a piece of technology – but in the end it went to an entire brand. The Volkswagen BlueMotion range takes the prize for the way its economy boosting kit delivers real-world gains to consumers with so few compromises.”

The Auto Express award adds to the list of accolades claimed by Volkswagen in the past year from such prestigious titles as What Car?, Top Gear, Fleet News, Honest John and BusinessCar.