It's now official – Volkswagen's most popular model, the Golf, is the world's best car.

The family hatchback's latest version, the Golf MkVI, has been declared the 2009 'World Car of the Year' by a jury of 59 automotive journalists from 25 countries around the world, at the New York International Auto Show last week.

The Golf beat other big-ticket rivals like the Ford Fiesta and the Toyota iQ for the title. The other contenders in the shortlist were the Audi A4, BMW 7-series, Citroen C5, Fiat 500, Honda Jazz, Jaguar XF, Mazda6 and Nissan GT-R.

The judges observed, "The new Golf VI feels more expensive than other family hatches, thanks to its solid build and high quality cabin. Customers get a choice of nothing less than six engines including the punchy and efficient 158hp, 1.4-litre TSI unit that features both a turbo and supercharger. The Golf is also available with the firm's new 2.0-litre common-rail diesel engine, developing either 108 or 138hp.''

The panel added, "It goes without saying that choosing between the slick six-speed manual and superb DSG twin-clutch gearbox can be difficult. Sitting on an outstanding chassis, the VW is more refined than its rivals, especially when highway cruising. Wind, road and engine noise are kept to a minimum, making the Golf a relaxing long distance companion."

The Golf, a perennial favourite 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 debuted at the Paris Motor show last September, and made its US debut the New York Show.

"It is a tremendous honour for Volkswagen to have its global best selling model, the Golf, named the 2009 World Car of the Year," said Stefan Jacoby, president and chief executive officer of Volkswagen Inc in the US. "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."

According to a release by the German company, 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 Europe's largest and the world's third largest automaker as it looks to increase sales and market share.

Indians may have to wait before they can acquire this winner. Volkswagen already produces the Passat and the Jetta in the country, and the Phaeton and Touareg are available as direct imports. However, there was no indication of when the Golf might hit the lucrative Indian market.

Among VW's main rivals, Ford is bringing the European-built Fiesta to the US market, with the first batch of 100 cars arriving last week. Ford is loaning the vehicles to young people who will post videos about their experiences. The Toyota iQ is a 1.0-litre super fuel-efficient hatchback that boasts unsurpassed mileage.

Other winners
Other award categories included World Performance Car of the Year, which was won by the Nissan GT-R. It beat other finalists like the Audi RS6, BMW 135i, Corvette ZR1, Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, Mitsubishi Evo X, Porsche 911 Carrera and Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

The Car Design of the Year was awarded to the the Fiat 500, while the World Green Car accolade was won by Honda's FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell car. In the design of the year category, the jurors were assisted by four highly respected world design experts. A similar process was applied to select the green car award, with a panel of three experts suggesting a shortlist on which the jurors voted.

The inaugural World Car title was awarded in 2005, when the Audi A6 triumphed. A year later, BMW's 3-series took the title, with the Lexus LS460 winning in 2007. Last year, the honour went to the Mazda2/Demio supermini.

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