Volkswagen AG GTI named 2007 Auto of the Year

The Volkswagen AG GTI, was named Car of the Year for 2007 by Automobile Magazine.

Gavin Conway, editor-in-chief of Automobile Magazine, said the sporty version of the VW Golf, now in its fifth generation, was the unanimous pick of the magazine’s senior editors because of the way it combined performance and affordability.

Starting at under $23,000, the 2007 GTI has a 200-horsepower, four-cylinder engine that takes the 2-door version to 60 mph (97 kph) in 6.6 seconds. The GTI also gets highway fuel economy of 30 miles (48 kms) to the gallon, Conway said.

"It’s a great car to drive as well as being an easy car to live with," he said.

The choice was forecasted to spark minor controversy, as their readership was likely to expect a more expensive choice. However, the senior editing staff leaned towards what they felt was a more "a more responsible approach to performance driving", which led them to judge on the basis of factors such as how many miles to the gallon cars in contention could get.

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