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VW Golf wins 2013 European Car of the Year

Volkswagen's Golf is the 2013 Car of the Year. Announced at a ceremony on the eve of the Geneva motor show, the seventh-generation Golf scored the most points from the 58 voting jury members, from 22 European countries. Each juror has 25 points to distribute among the eight-strong shortlist, which this year comprised: Peugeot 208Renault ClioFord B-MaxHyundai i30Volkswagen GolfMercedes A-classVolvo V40Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86 It was a resounding victory for the Golf, which scored 414 points to the second placed BRZ/GT86's 202.

More on Alfa Romeo's rear-drive strategy

The revised Alfa Romeo plan that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is expected to announce next April focuses on a new, still unnamed rear-wheel- and all-wheel-drive architecture. A key aim of the new plan is to boost Alfa's global presence. "With our current segment coverage and our geographical footprint, we compete in about 5 percent of the global market," Alfa's European boss, Louis-Carl Vignon, said in an interview.

Jaguar/Land Rover Virtual Reality Center

Jaguar Land Rover has opened a new 'Virtual Reality Center' at the Design and Engineering Center in Gaydon, UK. The 'state-of-the-art' design facility draws on advanced audio visual technologies with the projection power of the world's highest resolution projectors to significantly speed up product development cycles following an investment of £2 million. The new Virtual Reality Center allows engineers and designers to see and interact with life-size, three-dimensional models of vehicles and components, reducing the need for physical prototypes.