LOS ANGELES — The conventional wisdom that ultra-environmental vehicles must be either tiny and impractical or festooned with expensive hybrid technology got a kick in the teeth as the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI won the Green Car of the Year award Thursday at the Los Angeles auto show.
"The Jetta TDI epitomizes what the Green Car of the Year honor is all about," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal, which presents the award. "It raises the bar significantly in environmental performance" with EPA fuel economy ratings of 31 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway.
The Jetta TDI achieves "the kind of fuel efficiency offered by gasoline-electric hybrids but in a more affordable way," Cogan said. Prices for the 2009 Jetta TDI start at $21,990 for the sedan and $23,590 for the station wagon.
Diesels have long been the vehicle of choice for fuel efficiency and reduced emissions in Europe, where they account for more than half of new car sales. Diesels have languished in the United States, however, accounting for less than 1 percent of car sales.
People are also reading…
The Jetta TDI beat the BMW 335d diesel, Ford Fusion hybrid, Saturn two-mode hybrid and Smart ForTwo city car for the award.
In addition to the editors of Green Car Journal, judges for the award include TV personality Jay Leno; racing legend Carroll Shelby; top officials at the Sierra Club and National Resources Defense Council, and Jean-Michel Cousteau, oceanographer and environmentalist.