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New Audi wins green award

Thursday, 17 December 2009

The increasing belief that diesel powered cars offer superior efficiency to hybrid powered versions was reinforced when the Audi A3 TDI was awarded Green Car of the Year 2010 at the Los Angeles Motor Show. The A3 beat off competition from the all new Toyota Prius and Honda Insight hybrids to win the award. “The Audi A3 TDI offers it all” announced Ron Cogan, editor of Greencar when making the award. “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 five-passenger hatchback." This year's invited jurors included former racer and car-builder Carroll Shelby; automotive expert and television host Jay Leno; Jean-Michel Cousteau, French environmentalist and Carl Pope, executive director of the environmental group the Sierra Club. “This award is a great endorsement of our pioneering work on TDI technology since 1989” said Fintan Knight, Director of Audi Ireland.  Audi Ireland also announces the new A3 1.6TDI 105 e model with emissions of just 99g. This new engine boasts even more innovations from Audi’s Modular Efficiency Platform such as reduced frontal and underbody aerodynamic drag, 15” alloys with special low rolling resistance tyres and Audi’s acclaimed new Start Stop system with brake energy recuperation as standard. With 105 brake horse power and 250 NM of torque, performance has not been compromised by the incredible efficiency. The new A3 1.6TDI e model is available for order now for e26,900 and first customer deliveries will begin in February 2010. Start Stop technology has also been added to the 2.0TDI engine with 140 brake horsepower, reducing Co2 emissions from 134g to 115g becoming the 7th Audi variant to dip below the 120g barrier and the 35th to dip below the 140g mark.