From a German perspective, what is the best car in 2021? To find this out, 18 respected motoring journalists from across Germany meet once a year in Bad Dürkheim, a town in the German state of Rhineland- Palatinate. This year, the German Car of the Year jury voted in favour of Volkswagen in not one, but two categories: the Golf Mk 8 and the fully electric ID.3 each secured the title in their respective classes.
The judges had to choose between no fewer than 72 new models, split into five different categories: compact cars with a basic price of up to EUR 25,000 (Compact), premium models with a basic price of up to EUR 50,000 (Premium), more expensive vehicles in the luxury segment (Luxury), vehicles with alternative drive systems (New Energy), and sports cars (Performance).
“Both the new Golf and the ID.3 won over our judges in their respective segments – though they faced some very tough competition,” says co-organiser Jens Meiners, a reporter for the German and US motoring press. Given the restrictions required due to the pandemic, Meiners had to deal with some unique challenges this year: “running a test event has never been more demanding. However, the programme was never called into doubt. We believe that cars are still important, even during the coronavirus crisis – in fact, they may be more important than ever.”
“The new Golf and the ID.3 have already come out on top in a number of relevant comparison tests. The fact that the two top-of-the-range models were rewarded by the jury primarily for their environmentally friendly designs and innovations is also a very special form of recognition for all of us here at Volkswagen,” says Klaus Zellmer, Member of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Passenger Cars with responsibility for Sales, Marketing and After Sales, in response to the journalists’ decisions. “Environmentally friendly design and innovation are the most important cornerstones of our “Way to Zero” strategy, which aims to deliver zero-emissions mobility for all. With its highly efficient engines, the Golf plays just as an important a role during the transformation phase as the fully electric and already carbon-neutral ID.3.”
