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Audi A3 Gets “Green Car of the Year” at LA Auto Show

The war between clean diesel technology and hybrid technology might not be over, but the diesel won another battle. A car equipped with the clean diesel technology won the “Green Car of the Year” award for the second consecutive time at the LA auto Show.

The Audi A3 clean diesel was crowned king in the economy car sector due to its great fuel economy, as the car is able to get 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.

The win is "an affirmation that fuel-efficient clean diesel models are becoming a serious competitor in the American market," said Ron Cogan, the Green Car Journal magazine's editor and publisher.

Considering the fact that Americans were never big fans of the diesel fuel, this is an important victory in supporting foreign car manufacturers to sell diesel powered cars in the US. Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, said the award gives clean-diesel technology greater credibility. "It shows that clean diesel has a place in the market right alongside hybrids," Nysschen said.

To get the “Green Car of the Year” award Audi A3 TDI had to face serious competition from the five finalists: the Honda Insight hybrid, the Mercury Milan hybrid, the Toyota Prius hybrid and the Volkswagen Golf TDI clean diesel. Last year, the trophy was presented to Volkswagen's 2009 Jetta TDI, the first clean-diesel vehicle to win the prize.
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