For the second time, the Volkswagen Golf has been crowned European Car of the Year 2013. The Golf last won the prestigious award in 1992 with its third generation model and the only other car to take the award twice is the Renault Clio. More notably, every generation of the Golf has finished in the top three of the Car of the Year in the last 38 years.

The seventh generation Golf won the award by a huge margin after receiving 414 votes. Runner-up spots went to the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ with 202 votes.

The Volvo V40 was placed third, just ahead of the Ford B-Max. The Mercedes A-Class was ranked fifth, followed by the Renault Clio, Peugeot 208 and Hyundai i30.

The new Golf has been recognised by the judges for its overall balance and the outstanding achievements in safety, fuel efficiency, dynamics and comfort.

While retaining its traditional image, the Golf Mk7 is entirely new under the skin, with a lightweight structure based on the new MQB flexible platform for passenger vehicles with transversal powertrains. The nice looking cabin, with a classic style and analogue instrumentation, is roomy and has materials of excellent feel which contribute to the perceived quality.