WOLFSBURG, Germany — The redesigned Volkswagen Polo edged the Toyota iQ as Europe's Car of the Year 2010, in a surprisingly close vote that saw winner and runner-up separated by only 10 points. The redesigned Opel/Vauxhall Astra finished a distant 3rd.
Last year's margin was even narrower, with the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia finishing a single point ahead of the Ford Fiesta and the VW Golf trailing well behind.
Even more surprising, the Polo is the first winner from VW in 18 years. The last Car of the Year from Wolfsburg was the Golf in 1992.
This year's contest pitted the top three finalists against the Citroën C3 Picasso, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the Peugeot 3008 and the Skoda Yeti.
The annual Car of the Year award is administered by a group of Europe's largest motoring publications.
Inside Line says: Number one and number two should both wind up eventually in U.S. showrooms. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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