Volkswagen of America announced today that its sixth generation GTI has been named the 2010 Automobile Magazine Automobile of the Year. This would be the second time in its history when the GTI wins this prestigious award. For those who don’t know, the Vw Golf GTI was first introduced in the United States back in 1983 and this vehicle drew admiration for its combination of sporty performance and practicality. The 2010 GTI comes with the highly acclaimed 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC turbo-charged four-cylinder engine capable to deliver an impressive 200 hp and 207 lbs.-ft. of torque. This model is offered with an automated manual DSG transmission that utilizes direct shifting but also with a standard six-speed manual transmission. The top speed is electronically limited to 130 mph while the fuel consumption achieved is 32/24 highway/city when equipped with the DSG transmission. The 2010 GTI pricing starts at $23,490!
“At a time when the world’s economy is in shambles and fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are on everyone’s minds, there remains only one car that ticks all the enthusiast boxes without setting off a single wretched-excess alarm. That’s the Volkswagen GTI, and that’s why it is, once again, Automobile Magazine’s Automobile of the Year,” said Joe DeMatio, Executive Editor, Automobile Magazine.
“Having our GTI named AUTOMOBILE Magazine’s Automobile of the Year once again is a tremendous honor for our brand,” said Mark Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “We’re thrilled that the staff of AUTOMOBILE Magazine acknowledged that today’s sport’s car consumers are looking beyond horsepower and going fast, rather they are looking for vehicles that are practical, fuel efficient, and fast. The GTI truly embodies what the Volkswagen brand is all about–affordable, efficient, and fun-to-drive German Engineering,” Barnes added.
