What a coup for Vauxhall -— in one of the toughest trading markets for car makers in living memory, its new Insignia family car has been voted the 2009 Car Of The Year.

It was a close-run thing for the Insignia — just one point separated the winner from the runner-up, the Ford Fiesta, but that ultra-narrow victory margin will translate into a widening sales gap between the Vauxhall and its major fleet-car rivals.

“We are delighted to be able to deliver good news at such a tough time,” says Steve Cropley, editor-in-chief of Autocar, Car Of The Year's British-based sponsoring magazine.

“The market’s the toughest we've seen for 20 years, but nothing alters the fact that the Insignia is a great car. However, this result is undoubtedly something of an upset. The Ford Fiesta seemed to many a winning contender. But, in the end, the Insignia deserved to triumph —- and it did.”

Bill Parfitt, chairman of Vauxhall parent company General Motors UK, says of the win: “This is great news for GM/Vauxhall and its employees, suppliers and retailers.

“Vauxhall has made great strides in recent years, particularly in design and dynamics, and the Insignia illustrates what we're capable of achieving. It offers great quality and value in a prestige package that will provide an exceptional ownership experience to our customers.”

The Insignia's triumph marks the third Car Of The Year accolade for Vauxhall. In 1985, the Astra won the title, followed two years later by the Carlton/Omega.

For the 2009 win, the Insignia polled 321 votes to beat the Ford Fiesta, by that solitary point. Another Ford, the Mondeo, was also beaten in 2001 by a solitary point — when the Alfa Romeo 147 took that year's Car Of The Year title.

But, for 2009, the accolade belongs to the Vauxhall. “This is the closest Car Of The Year competition for years,” said Ray Hutton of the Sunday Times, president of the 59-strong jury of motoring journalists drawn from 23 European countries. Hutton is one of six UK journalists who make up the jury.

To underscore the closeness of the 46-year-old competition, the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia received most votes from 20 of the international jurors, while the Fiesta was placed first by 19 of them.

The competition's first stage was in October, when jurors chose seven finalists from a field of 37 contenders. To be eligible for Car Of The Year, a car must be launched within the past 12 months and must be available in at least five European countries.

Points allotted to the other six Car Of The Year finalists were VW Golf 223, Citroen C5 198, Alfa Romeo MiTo 148, Skoda Superb 144, and Renault Megane 121.

Meanwhile, the revolutionary Toyota iQ —due in Britain next January — the world's smallest four-seater passenger car, has won the 2008 Japan Car Of The Year award, by a landslide over rivals such as the Citroën C5, Audi A4 and Jaguar XF.

The innovative iQ was praised by the Japanese judges for its space efficiency and design, and particularly for seating four people within a body less than three metres long.