Audi A3 TDI is Green Car of the Year 2010

Audi A3 TDI Named 2010 Green Car of the Year(R)

Green Car Journal Announces Clean Diesel Winner at the Los Angeles Auto Show

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 3 -- The 2010 Audi A3 TDI has been named Green Car Journal's 2010 Green Car of the Year®. The clean diesel from Audi rose to the top in a stellar field of hybrids and advanced diesel models that all offer exceptional fuel economy and low emissions. This marks the second year in a row that a clean diesel vehicle has taken the top prize.

"The Audi A3 TDI offers it all," says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. "This compact luxury car features an impressive EPA estimated 42 mpg on the highway - a 50 percent highway fuel efficiency improvement over the standard gasoline engine A3. Plus, this Audi's quiet, clean diesel engine delivers loads of low-end torque and a fun-to-drive experience, all with the functionality of a 5-passenger hatchback."

Along with setting the bar for highway fuel economy in the compact luxury car segment, Audi's 50-state certified A3 TDI is powered by a 2.0-liter turbo direct injection (TDI) engine with a standard S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission and comes at an MSRP of $29,950.

"In winning the 2010 Green Car of the Year Award, the Audi A3 TDI demonstrates the bright future that clean diesel technology provides through reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions," said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "This honor demonstrates that the A3 TDI is a ready-now solution to our society's toughest transportation issues."

The Green Car of the Year® jury, comprised of six environmental and automotive experts along with Green Car Journal editors, selected the 2010 Audi A3 TDI from a field of five finalists that also included the Honda Insight, Mercury Milan Hybrid, Toyota Prius and VW Golf TDI.

This year's invited jurors included Dr. Alan Lloyd, president of the International Council on Clean Transportation; Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen, president of Global Green USA; automotive expert and television host Jay Leno; and automotive icon Carroll Shelby. The Green Car Journal has been unveiling the Green Car of the Year® winner at the LA Auto Show every year since it initiated the annual award in 2005.

"This was the strongest field of nominees ever for our Green Car of the Year® program," said Cogan. "It's a clear indication that the auto industry is on track to deliver an expanding number of 'green' car choices at the showroom in coming years. It's also an affirmation that fuel-efficient clean diesel models are becoming a serious competitor in the American market."

About Green Car of the Year®

The Green Car of the Year® program focuses on environmental achievement without regard to a particular technology or fuel. All production models on sale by January 1 of the award year and widely available to consumers are considered as nominees. Fuel efficiency, exhaust emissions, and CO2 reduction achievements are among many primary considerations. Market significance is important, as is a model's potential for influencing the expansion of environmentally positive fuels or technologies throughout an automaker's product line. Green Car of the Year® is a registered trademark of Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc. Additional information about Green Car Journal and a sample downloadable issue of the print magazine can be found at GCJUSA.com.

About the Los Angeles Auto Show

The show opened for media only Dec. 2 and 3 with public days running from Dec. 4-13. The Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), the world automobile trade association, has officially named the Los Angeles Auto Show as one of its sanctioned international exhibits for the 2009 auto show season. For additional information about the Los Angeles Auto Show visit www.LAautoshow.com.