Automobile Magazine on Wednesday named the Volkswagen GTI as its 2007 car of the year, one of a series of year-end industry awards that automakers use to support their marketing efforts.
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 to the gallon, Conway said.
"It's a great car to drive as well as being an easy car to live with," he said.
Conway said he expected that the selection would generate some controversy among the readership of the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based magazine, with some readers questioning why it had not opted for a far more expensive car.
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