Motor Trend names the Volkswagen Golf/GTI its 2015 Car of the Year

Since 1949, the scribes at Motor Trend have chosen a Car of the Year, often times to great tumult and dissent from the community at large. (I still recall puzzling over the Chevy Caprice Classic LTZ pick from 1991.) This morning, the magazine announced its winner for 2015, naming not just one car but several: the Volkswagen Golf family, including the VW GTI and the e-Golf EV.

The editors at Motor Trend made their pick from 23 new 2015 models, saying the Golf was a "near-unanimous choice," adding: "No matter which Golf variant we jumped into, we emerged with smiles on our faces." It's the first time the Golf family has been chosen by Motor Trend; the 1985 VW GTI built in Pennsylvania won its year, back when the magazine still segregated awards for domestic and import vehicles.

The announcement makes Volkswagen two-for-two, as we made the VW GTI our pick for 2015 Yahoo Autos Car of the Year. The big one that remains is the North American Car of the Year, where the Golf/GTI is once again a finalist against vehicles such as the Ford Mustang, Audi A3, and Toyota Camry. I don't think Vegas is taking bets, but if it were, the Golf would be the odds-on favorite.