LA Auto Show: Audi A3 TDI, 2010 Green Car Of The Year

2010 Green Car award winning 2.0L Audi A3 TDI Diesel at the 2009 LA Auto Show presentation ceremony. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

LA Auto Show: Audi A3 TDI, 2010 Green Car Of The Year

This excerpted and edited from Audi of America -

2010 Audi A3 TDI Technology Highlights

The TDI 2.0 liter clean diesel engine produces 140 hp and a remarkable 236 lb-ft torque thanks to the in-line four-cylinder turbocharged engine with common rail direct injection and piezoelectric injectors.

Audi has been at the forefront of FSI direct injection. FSI Direct Injection technology increases the torque and power of spark-ignition engines, making them as much as 15 percent more economical and reducing exhaust emissions.

S-tronic automatic transmission enables rapid-fire shifts, thanks to a dual-clutch system. Shifts can be engaged either through the shift lever on the console or by shift paddles located behind the steering wheel at the nine and three o’clock positions. The S-tronic automatic transmission is one of the most advanced forms of gearbox available, with shift times in the region of 0.2 seconds and without noticeab<>ly interrupting power flow. It is ideal for every driving style and adds unique emphasis to the sporty, dynamic character of the vehicle. Additionally, there are two automatic driving mode options, “Normal” and “Sport”, which allow the drivers to further customize their drive.
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This excerpted and edited from the LA Times -

The 2010 Audi A3 TDI was named Green Car of the Year at the L.A. Auto Show today, giving the Germans and clean diesel technology back-to-back wins.

The four-door hatchback, which has a base sticker price of $29,950, "offers it all," said Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal, which sponsors the annual award, praising the car's sporty performance and superior fuel economy.

The winner'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," Cogan said.

The A3 TDI (which stands for turbo direct injection) has an EPA highway fuel economy rating of 42 MPG -- a 50% improvement over the gasoline-powered A3.

The other finalists for the award were the 2010 models of the Honda Insight hybrid, Toyota Prius hybrid, Volkswagen Golf TDI and Mercury Milan hybrid, the only nominee from an American automaker.

The A3 TDI is powered by the same engine as last year's Green Car of the Year, the VW Jetta TDI. Audi is owned by Volkswagen.
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Consecutive victories by clean-diesel technology over gas-electric hybrid cars gave Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi of America, an opportunity to wag a finger at Washington policymakers who have fallen in love with hybrid and all-electric technology. Caption Credit: LAT / Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

The Green Car of the Year award is a program that honors environmental leadership in the automobile field and recognizes vehicles that are readily available to consumers during the award year.

Green Car Journal editors perform an exhaustive review of vehicle models to identify the five finalists.

The 2010 winner was ultimately decided by jurors Jay Leno, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Carroll Shelby, Matt Petersen of Global Green USA and the Sierra Club’s Carl Pope, along with Green Car Journal editors.

All hail the Audi TDI clean diesel technology ... it's just not your dad's truck driving, black smoke, fuel option anymore. Diesel is the "Green" transition fuel of today and the future.

By the way, what is "Climategate"?

... notes from The EDJE