Audi’s 2010 A3 TDI has won the “Green Car of the Year” award at the Los Angeles Auto Show on Thursday, elected as the leader again for the second consecutive year in a clean-diesel vehicle segment.
The A3 TDI gets 42 miles per gallon on the highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates. Audi said that’s a 50 percent better fuel efficiency than a gasoline powered A3 and it shows that clean diesel has a place in the market right alongside hybrids.
People have this idea that diesel is for trucks, that it’s dirty, that it’s smelly,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal. “But here you have a high-performance automobile, extremely efficient, very luxurious to drive, no compromise.” Cogan added: “It’s an affirmation that fuel-efficient clean diesel models are becoming a serious competitor in the American market.”
The Audi A3 TDI starting at just under $30,000 beat out four other finalists to win the award: The Honda Insight; Mercury Milan Hybrid; Toyota Prius; and Volkswagen Golf TDI.
Tags: audi 2010 a3 tdi, audi a3 tdi, award, clean diesel, fuel efficient, green car
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