The Golf was chosen over two other finalists: Ford’s Fiesta and Toyota’s IQ. Pretty steep competition. The Golf won thanks to the German automakers combination of size, speed, reliability, fuel range and all around design package. Check out full details in the press release below.

VOLKSWAGEN GOLF NAMED WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR

The Volkswagen Golf was honored as the 2009 World Car of the Year. A jury comprised of fifty-nine international automotive journalists from twenty-five countries around the world chose this year’s World Car of the Year, which was announced this morning at a news conference during the New York International Auto Show.

“It is a tremendous honor for Volkswagen to have its global best selling model, the Golf, named the 2009 World Car of the Year,” said Stefan Jacoby, President/CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc. “This is a great way to kick-off the new Golf here in America. We’re excited for the arrival of the sixth generation Golf, which will be in Volkswagen showrooms later this year. Simply put, we believe this is the best Golf ever.”

The Golf, a perennial favorite in the Volkswagen line-up, has sold more than 26 million units in 120 countries, making it one of the top selling vehicles of all-time. The new sixth generation Golf first debuted at the Paris Motor show last fall, and made its U.S. debut at this year’s New York International Auto Show. The Golf has been designed to be quieter, sportier, fuel efficient and present a clean, distinctive appearance that – staying true to Volkswagen – is fun-to-drive.

The new Golf embodies Volkswagen’s product strategy aimed to sharpen the brand design in all classes and apply greater global consistency among model names. These steps are intended to leverage the offerings of the world’s third largest automaker as it looks to increase sales and market share. The 2010 Golf will be available in dealer showrooms across the U.S. this fall in gasoline and TDI versions.