VW Up! City Car Voted World Car of the Year

A panel of 66 automotive journalists from 25 countries chose Volkswagen AG's Up! city car as this year's World Car of the Year.

The World Car awards are administered by a nonprofit association headed by a committee of journalists from Asia, Europe and North America that appoints each judge.

The Up, which went on sale in Europe in December, outscored 34 rivals that included the new BMW 3 Series sedan and Porsche's redesigned 911 sports car.

The journalist judges declared that the diminutive Up "altered what we have come to expect from the city car segment." They praised the car's sophisticated suspension, responsive steering and high quality of materials and finish.

The four-passenger Up, which measures about 11.5 feet long, is powered by a turbocharged, 1-liter, 59-hp three-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels. The car delivers 56 mpg and emits less than 100 g/km of carbon dioxide on the European driving cycle.

Last year's WCOTY winner was the Nissan Leaf electric sedan. VW has won the award, now in its eighth year, twice before with the Polo in 2010 and Golf in 2009.