km : Automotive News

Now we're not quite sure if this is fair. Last year, the 2.0-liter turbodiesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI won the coveted "Green Car of the Year" prize. In the year since, Audi has imported its own car with the same engine, the new A3 TDI. Now, that car has won the same award with the same engine. Very sneaky things are going on behind the doors in Herndon, Virginia. Plus, we thought diesels were supposed to be blue, not green.

Either way, the A3 took the award out at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, and Audi of America President Johan de Nysschen was on hand and quite pleased. "We consider the Green Car of the Year title one of the most important industry accolades. It is of paramount importance for us to develop vehicles that achieve the very touchstones this award stands for--fuel efficiency and environmental impact. Rather than novelty features, we consider these attributes imperative to the future of automobile design. We are honored with this recognition for the Audi A3 TDI."

The A3 TDI achieves 42 miles per gallon on the highway and is 50-state certified, just like the VW Jetta TDI and Audi's other diesel, the Q7 TDI. It went on sale in the US in November.

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