LOS ANGELES -- For the second year in a row, Green Car Journal has named a German diesel Green Car of the Year.
The 42-mpg Audi A3 TDI topped a field that included three hybrids and two diesels to take the award presented today at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The judges praised the cars "exceptional fuel economy and low emissions" and hailed it as "stylish" and "fun to drive."
"The Audi A3 TDI offers it all," said Ron Cogan, editor of Green Car Journal and GreenCar.com.
There's no shortage of awards and honors doled out in the auto industry, but this one actually means something because all of the cars considered are vehicles you can buy right now. The jury includes greenies like Carl Pope, head of the Sierra Club, and Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of the Ocean Futures Society. But it also includes certified gearheads like Jay Leno and Carroll Shelby to ensure the candidates are cars you'd enjoy driving.
"A love of cars and respect for the environment need not be mutually exclusive," Cogan said.
Audi agrees, said Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America.
"Green is no longer progressive," he said. "It is expected. We sought to maximize fuel economy without sacrificing, for one second, driving performance."
The A3 diesel is powered by a 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged engine that puts down 140 horsepower. It delivers 30 mpg in the city and 42 on the highway. It starts at $29,950 and is available in all 50 states.
The finalists included the Honda Insight hybrid, Mercury Milan hybrid, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf TDI. Last year's winner was the Volkswagen Jetta TDI.
Photos: Jim Merithew / Wired.com
See Also:
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- And the Green Car of the Year Is… A Volkswagen
- Audi Builds Online Hype for Clean Diesel
There was a small hang up during the awards presentation...
Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, with the award he called "very special to us."
Santa goes to check out the Porsches.
