* International jury – 59 members from 23 European countries
* International customers – 130,000 Polos already ordered worldwide

Wolfsburg/Madrid, 30 November 2009 – The new Polo is Car of the Year 2010:

Today the Car of the Year jury chose the Volkswagen as number 1; this is the crowning achievement of an extraordinary year for the new Polo.

“The new Polo stands for German engineering craftsmanship and superior cutting edge technology. The fifth generation Polo was designed to address customer expectations with even greater uncompromising standards. That is why we are naturally very pleased to see our efforts validated in the form of this award,” says Professor Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management, Volkswagen Group.

Selection as Car of the Year is one of the oldest and most esteemed awards in Europe. The best of all new car introductions have been awarded annually since 1964. The last time a Volkswagen won was in 1992: Back then the new third generation Golf emerged victoriously over the Opel Astra and Citroën ZX. In today’s competition, 59 jurors from 23 European countries cast their votes. The new Polo won with 347 points, outpacing the Toyota IQ.

Hakan Matson, president of the jury, had this to say at the award ceremony in Madrid: “It was the Polo’s comprehensive safety equipment and its advanced range of engines that impressed us the most. On the Polo BlueMotion Volkswagen was also able to add a very fuel-efficient yet affordable car to its car programme.”

The Polo’s selection as Car of the Year 2010 is the crowning achievement of an extraordinary year for the new Polo after already being named Best Car 2009 by “auto motor sport” magazine and winning the Grüne (“Green”) and the Goldene Lenkrad (“Golden Steering Wheel”) awards by publisher Springer Verlag – as well as the Auto Trophy by “Autozeitung” just a few days ago.

Not only was the award jury impressed by the new Polo. Since its market launch in May of this year, Volkswagen has received over 130,000 orders for the new benchmark car of the compact class. The Polo is available as a dynamic 3-door and comfortable 5-door in Germany. As the Polo BlueMotion, just 3.3 litre fuel consumption makes it the most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly five-seater in the world.

The current Wagon R is the fourth-generation model. It combines the appeal and versatile user-friendliness of the earlier Wagon R generations with a stylish new design, an interior environment that gives rear passengers more comfort, and higher levels of performance and handling. Plus, the availability of the uniquely styled Stingray version means the Wagon R series accommodates a wider range of tastes than ever before.

In selecting the Wagon R series for the Good Design Long Life Design Award, the judges said: “The Wagon R established the type of minivehicle packaging in which there’s a tall body and a distinct bonnet. The styling has been changed with successive generations, but the fundamental dimensions have been carried forward and refined very well. The well-known proportions of the Wagon R have created a distinct automotive product category in which there have been many followers. The Wagon R is widely recognized for its user-friendliness and has become an iconic presence in Japanese living environments.”

This is the second consecutive year in which a Suzuki model has won a Good Design Long Life Design Award. The winning Suzuki model in 2008 was the Jimny.
*The Good Design Award competition (originally founded in 1957 by Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry as the Good Design Selection System) is Japan’s only comprehensive design evaluation and endorsement system. It’s organized annually by the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization with the aim of improving lives and advancing industry through good design.

The Hungarian Quality Product Award is a non-profit initiative which has identified in its tender the promotion of quality-sensitive attitude as the fundamental aim contributing to the establishment of conscious consumer behaviour. The applicants for the award were such exemplary models which contribute to the development of the economy, personifying and expressing Hungary’s acknowledgement and commitment for attested quality through these products. Innovation and the application of active quality policy referring to reliable, premium quality products can be important alternatives of the way out from the global economic crisis, which are symbolized by the Hungarian Quality Product Award® trademark.

By nominating Suzuki Splash, under the category of ‘Machines, units, equipment, vehicles’, it was a pre-condition that the product or product line must be manufactured, mass-produced or distributed in Hungary. In case of Splash, Hungary is the sole European manufacturing location, where the car is produced mainly for Europe and to some overseas markets as well. In terms of looks and driving characteristics, Splash excites people all over the world. Designed as a contemporary, family-friendly all-rounder for negotiating the daily urban rush, Splash combines attractive looks and economical performance with a comprehensive safety package, technological refinements and plenty of space and comfort. With CO2 emissions of just 120g/km, the vehicle is in line with the latest European emission needs as well as requirements of environmentally conscious customers.

On behalf of Magyar Suzuki Corporation the Hungarian Quality Product Award® was received by CEO Mr Hisashi Takeuchi and vice CEO Dr László Urbán in the Upper House Hall of the Hungarian Parliament.

Announcers of the Hungarian Quality Product Award® are EXIMBANK Pte Ltd, INDUSTORG-VÉDJEGYIRODA Llc, ITD HUNGARY ZRt., MEHIB Pte Ltd, National Consumer Protection Authority, TERC Ltd. and TÜV-SÜD KERMI Llc. In addition to the above, special supporters of the Award are the Ministry for National Development and Economy, the Ministry for Local Government, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the Ministry for Environment and Water.

Background information on Splash parameters
Splash is produced with a variety of three engines (two petrol and one diesel), each of which meets the Euro 4 emissions standard. The petrol engines were newly developed by Suzuki, and the diesel engine is produced by Suzuki Powertrain at a new factory in India. The smallest engine is the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol unit that can develop 48 kW (65 hp) using, on average, just five litres of fuel per 100 kilometres. The most powerful engine in the range is a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol unit that’s made of aluminium and smoothly delivers a maximum output of 63kW (86 hp) with fuel consumption of just 5.5 litres per 100 kilometres. The diesel engine features a 1.3-litre DDiS common-rail, four-cylinder unit that develops a maximum output of 55 kW (75 hp) and uses an average of just 4.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres.

Suzuki has taken a no-compromises safety approach in designing the Splash. To help the driver avoid hazards, an anti-lock braking system (ABS), a brake-assist function, and an electronic brake-force distribution are standard and an Electronic Stability Program (ESP®) is optionally available. But in the case of a mishap, the car´s body combines rigidity with superior energy absorption and dispersion and incorporates six airbags (dual front airbags, dual seat-side airbags, and dual curtain airbags that extend into the rear), front-seatbelt pretensioners and force limiters, and foot-protecting brake and clutch pedals that mitigate injuries in the event of a collision. For child safety, the rear seat incorporates ISOFIX child-seat anchorages.

Design, Comfort and practicality
# A versatile, emotionally appealing and attractive mini-MPV

# A departure from conventional boxy looks to a more streamlined, aerodynamic design

# Sporty and youthful styling expressing urban mobility

# Raised seating positions for good visibility and for easy getting in and getting out of the car

# High-mounted shift lever for easy operation

# Pleasant feeling of space; fresh colours and upholstery

# Easy-to-operate, clearly arranged buttons and instruments

# Above-average luggage capacity

# 60:40-split rear seat with one-action-folding feature to create expanded, full-flat luggage area

# Luggage-area underfloor compartment for small luggage items and emergency triangle

# Information display (showing fuel consumption and other data) in speedometer

Australia’s toughest judges – the 4WD experts from 4×4 Australia and Overlander 4WD magazines – have this week named the Grand Vitara the best compact SUV in the country for the second year in a row.

“Its low-range gearing, tough ladder frame chassis and all-independent suspension quickly impressed 4X4OTY judges on a mixed on and off-road test route that few other compacts could have completed,” said the 4×4 Australia judges.

“The suspension is well sorted, steering is direct and the driver’s seat is comfortable and supportive – ideal for long-haul trips.

“The Grand Vitara DDiS’s $35,990 asking price makes this compact a steal – and a worthy Best In Class winner once again.”

The 4×4 Australia award comes close on the heels of the judges at Overlander 4WD picking the Grand Vitara turbo-diesel as its best compact SUV, lavishing the car with praise.

“The DDiS’s closest rival for this award is one of the two petrol variants of the Grand Vitara. If we were to split this category so that we have separate diesel and petrol winners, there’s no doubt that one of the two petrol Grand Vitaras would get the nod.

“For now, the single Compact Wagon category is owned by the DDiS, thanks to its unique combination of performance, economy and off-road ability.

“What’s even better is the way that it sips fuel. Drive it hard and you’re unlikely to use more than 10 litres/100 km, while easy driving will see the consumption drop into the eights or even the sevens.

“The Suzuki’s on-road handling is also a highlight. This is a vehicle that’s stable at higher speeds on crook roads, yet agile and zippy in the tighter stuff. In fact, there’s very little we don’t like about the DDiS.”

The Grand Vitara was judged Best Compact SUV from a highly competitive field, including the Volkswagen Tiguan, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Nissan X-Trail, Jeep Wrangler, Subaru Forester and Honda CR-V.

Suzuki Australia General Manager Tony Devers said the domination by the Grand Vitara in Australia’s leading 4×4 magazines confirmed the Grand Vitara as the best compact SUV on the market.

“We were confident of the Grand Vitara’s performance potential when we launched it in 2008, and winning coveted awards from the toughest judges in the business is proof there is no better compact SUV available.

“That’s the reason why the Grand Vitara has performed so well in awards like this, and why its one of the few vehicles showing an increase in sales in 2009.

“It’ is a testament to Suzuki’s unwavering philosophy to retain true off-road capability with the refinement of a passenger car in its Grand Vitara range,” Devers said.

Grand Vitara has been one of the shining lights in 2009 sales figures, with year on year sales of the GV3 up 72 per cent, while the five-door version is up 23 per cent.

The Grand Vitara line-up consists of the 2.4-litre 3-door, the 2.4-litre 5-door, the 2.4-litre Prestige 5-door, the 3.2-litre V6 Prestige 5-door and the 1.9-litre turbo-diesel 5-door.

Every model in the Grand Vitara range comes standard with six airbags, including head protecting side curtain airbags, ESP stability control and climate control air-conditioning.

The majority of the over 16,000 participating readers of the magazine “Motor Klassik” chose the R8 as the current sports car with the greatest potential for becoming a genuine classic in the future.

This is the fourth time that the German trade journal has staged this readers’ poll. Alongside 78 models from 1979, some of which have already become genuine classics, readers were also able to choose from 168 current models in seven categories. “This endorses our decision to follow up the Audi TT with a particularly emotion-stirring mid-engine sports car. In keeping with this special prize, the Audi R8 can now also be ordered with another classic, a 10-cylinder engine,” says Michael-Julius Renz, Head of Sales Germany at AUDI AG. Renz thanked the readers and editorial team of “Motor Klassik” as he collected the prize yesterday evening in an appropriate setting at the historical automotive location in Stuttgart.

With its third place, the Audi A6 scored a further success for the brand with the four rings in the category “full-size car of the modern age.” The “Classics of the Future” prize is awarded every two year