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Success across the board: Thomas Schäfer with the four winners of the Golden Steering Wheel 2025.
11/18/25
Wolfsburg
Models
Press Release

Historic success:
Volkswagen is the first manufacturer to receive the ‘Das Goldene Lenkrad’ award for four models

  • The Golf GTI EDITION 50 is the winner in the compact class
  • ID.7 GTX Tourer wins in the upper mid-size class
  • Spacious Tayron named best family car
  • New T-Roc awarded editorial prize as “Best car under 40,000 euros”

With the ‘Goldene Lenkrad’ (The Golden Steering Wheel) award, the trade magazine AUTO BILD and the BILD am SONNTAG newspaper recognise outstanding new models every year. This year, the Volkswagen brand has achieved exceptional success and is the first manufacturer in the 49-year history of the Golden Steering Wheel to win in as many as four categories.
The Golf GTI EDITION 50 prevails in the compact class against two electrically powered competitors, while the ID.7 GTX Tourer wins in the upper mid-size class against two models from German premium manufacturers. The new Tayron wins as the best family car against two SUVs from the Czech Republic and Sweden, and the new T-Roc, which will be available at dealerships from this week, receives the editorial prize as "Best car under 40,000 euros".

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen Passenger Cars: “Four Golden Steering Wheels at once – we are the first brand to achieve this. I am incredibly proud of the entire Volkswagen team. These awards are an important sign that we are on the right track with our Volkswagen BOOST 2030 strategy. Our goal is clear: we want to become the leading volume manufacturer for technology. Next year, we’ll be launching six new models – one fantastic car after the other. With strong design, top quality, premium technologies and the right name. 100 per cent Volkswagen!”

AUTO BILD and BILD am SONNTAG have awarded the Golden Steering Wheel each year since 1976, and it is considered one of Europe’s most prestigious automotive awards. A total of 72 new models were available for selection for the Golden Steering Wheel 2025. The readers of AUTO BILD, its European partner magazines and the BILD am SONNTAG newspaper were able to determine the best vehicles of the year in a preliminary poll. The top three vehicles in each category were then tested by a jury at the Lausitzring circuit (Germany). In addition to trade journalists from the BILD Group, this included racing drivers and celebrity car enthusiasts. Ratings were awarded in 17 categories in the areas of drive, chassis, design, quality, sustainability, price-performance ratio, safety and consumption.

Volkswagen Tayron

Overview of the four winning models:

  • Volkswagen is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the GTI next year and is launching the most powerful production model in the history of the GTI in time for the anniversary year: the Golf GTI EDITION 50. The exclusive model with 239 kW (325 PS) and a torque of 420 Nm offers outstanding driving dynamics and numerous design highlights.
  • The highly dynamic ID.7 GTX Tourer has enriched the product range since summer 2024 and is the first fully electric estate car from Volkswagen – with generous space, high travel comfort and a 250 kW (340 PS) dual-motor all-wheel drive.
  • The new Tayron is a spacious all-round SUV that is positioned between the Tiguan and the Touareg. The Tayron combines comfort, versatility and modern technologies. It is optionally available with seven seats and offers a towing capacity of up to 2.5 tonnes.
  • The new T-Roc is high-quality and innovative, and has been improved in all areas compared to the predecessor model: with a sporty, elegant design, more space and comfort, innovative hybrid technology and assistance systems from higher classes.

Media contact

Stefan Voswinkel
Stefan Voswinkel
Head of Product Communications
Tel. +49 (0) 170 7832444
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