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Polo outsmarts iQ to Car of the Year 2010

30/11/2009

The fifth-generation Volkswagen Polo has been declared Car of the Year 2010, edging out Toyota's iQ city car.

The latest iteration of the long-serving German supermini received a total of 347 points from the 59-strong judging panel, narrowly beating the 337-point tally of the tiny iQ, which first went on sale in the UK in January this year.

With 221 points, Vauxhall's Astra came a relatively distant third.

Twenty five members of the panel - composed of European motoring journalists - voted the Polo as their outright winner, with 20 doing the same for the iQ. However, writing in his blog, Autocar editor-in-chief Steve Cropley wondered whether the judges had 'played it too safe' in handing the award to the "steady as she goes" Polo, which he described as "usefully improved in every respect but essentially predictable and familiar, from the looks to the powertrains".

"What have we learned?" he asked.

"That conventional design still rules with Europe's car critics, but that the iQ is viewed as a more serious and capable car than the Smart ever was."

Cropley - himself a judge - made the Toyota his personal favourite, awarding it eight points, while giving just two to the Volkswagen.

The Car of the Year website, which is yet to be updated with the result, says that it does not matter if the Polo is viewed as a scaled-down version of the larger Golf.

"The Volkswagen spirit of excellence is integrated into the structure and looks of this model that plays the role of not being as big as other cars in this segment," it adds.

The Polo takes over from the Vauxhall Insignia which won the 2009 crown by just a single point.

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