2015 Volkswagen Golf Targets Car-of-the-Year Hat Trick

2015 vw golf-s

Now that the 2015 Volkswagen Golf has been named to the short list for the 2015 North American Car of the Year Award, the next-gen compact hatch is poised to make history: If it pulls off the win here on this continent, the 2015 Volkswagen Golf would become the first entry in the world to win overall Car of the Year honors in Europe, Japan and North America.

Of course, victory here would be a bit of a long shot, as the brand-new 2015 Ford Mustang has to be considered the odds-on favorite to win. But remember, the 2015 Volkswagen Golf already has an impressive upset under its belt by earning the Car of the Year title in Japan—where no other import had scored the prize in its three-decade history. (For what it's worth, a handful of imports have been named North American Car of the Year over the years, with two past Volkswagens—previous-gen editions of the Golf and Jetta—also managing third-place finishes in 2009 and 2010.)

Some other random observations about the short-listed entries for the 2015 North American Car of the Year Award, which will be revealed in January during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit:

Technically, the nomination for the 2015 Volkswagen Golf also includes the hi-po GTI variant.

Another Volkswagen Group brand, Audi, earned a spot on the list for the 2015 A3.

Also counting the brand-new Porsche Macan and Audi Q3 compact premium crossovers, short-listed for North American Truck of the Year, the Volkswagen Group lead the industry with four finalists for the combined awards programs.

Joining the 2015 Volkswagen Golf/GTI, Ford Mustang and Audi A3 on the car list are the Acura TLX premium midsize sedan, Chrysler 200 mainstream midsizer, Honda Fit subcompact hatchback, Hyundai Genesis premium midsize sedan, Hyundai Sonata mainstream midsize sedan, Mercedes-Benz C-Class premium midsize sedan and another entry from the heart of the mainstream, the midsize Toyota Camry.

On the truck short list are the Audi Q3 and Porsche Macan, as well as the Chevrolet Colorado midsize pickup, Chevrolet Tahoe full-size SUV, Ford F-150 full-size pickup, GMC Canyon midsize pickup, Lexus NX "urban crossover," Lincoln MKC premium midsize crossover, Mercedes-Benz GLA Class premium compact crossover, Nissan Murano mainstream two-row crossover, Subaru Outback midsize crossover and Toyota Highlander mainstream three-row crossover.