VW Jetta TDI: Green Car of the Year 2009

Na de wat vreemde uitslag van vorig jaar, is het dit jaar de beurt aan de Volkswagen Jetta TDI om de prijs “Green Car of the Year 2009” in de wacht te slepen. Je weet wel, zo’n prijs die ze uitdelen aan een model dat weinig bijdraagt aan de stijging van de zeespiegel en dergelijke…

Genomineerd waren de BMW 335d, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Saturn Vue hybride 2 Mode en de Smart Fortwo. Het is de eerste keer dat de jury nu kiest voor een Duits merk met dieselmotor. De Jetta TDI heeft zo’n heerlijk geavanceerd dieselmotortje onder de motorkap liggen, waarbij de uitstoot van troep in alle 50 Amerikaanse staten onder de vastgestelde grens ligt. En dit zonder speciale trucjes of additieven. Daarnaast roemde de jury de Jetta TDI om zijn brandstofbesparing. Deze is namelijk te vergelijken met een hybride-auto, maar dan stukken goedkoper. NEXT!

Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI Named 2009 Green Car of the Year(R)
Green Car Journal Announces Winner at the Los Angeles Auto Show

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 20 — Volkswagen’s milestone 2009 Jetta TDI has been named Green Car Journal’s 2009 Green Car of the Year(R), besting competitors that included a pair of advanced hybrids, a clean diesel sport sedan, and a trendy fuel-efficient microcar. This is the first time that a clean diesel model has been awarded the title Green Car of the Year(R). Green Car Journal has been unveiling the Green Car of the Year(R) winner at the LA Auto Show every year since it initiated the annual award in 2005.

“The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI epitomizes what the Green Car of the Year(R) honor is all about,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. “It raises the bar significantly in environmental performance with its EPA estimated 41 mpg highway fuel economy, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and extremely low tailpipe emissions. This is all the more impressive when you consider the Jetta TDI is a clean diesel, achieving the kind of fuel efficiency offered by gasoline-electric hybrids but in a more affordable way.”

Volkswagen’s Jetta TDI features a 2.0-liter, turbocharged direct injection engine featuring the latest in diesel injection and emissions technology that allows it to meet strict emissions standards in all 50 states. Although its mission is to provide buyers a comfortable and fuel efficient five-passenger family sedan at an affordable $21,990, there’s a bit of performance in the bargain because of this clean diesel engine’s abundant low-end torque and the Jetta’s well-tuned suspension. This Volkswagen’s new-generation diesel powerplant is also exceptionally quiet for a diesel, reflecting just how far advanced diesel technology has come in recent years.

A jury of environmental and automotive experts selected the 2009 Jetta TDI from the field of five finalists that also included the BMW 335d, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and smart fortwo. This jury is comprised of nine jurors including Carl Pope, executive director of the Sierra Club; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; automotive expert and Tonight Show host Jay Leno; automotive icon Carroll Shelby; and four Green Car Journal editors.

About Green Car of the Year(R)

The Green Car of the Year(R) award is an important part of Green Car Journal’s mission to showcase environmental progress in the auto industry. Since 1992, Green Car Journal has focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment, first with an industry newsletter and then with an award-winning auto enthusiast magazine. Today, the magazine is considered the premier source of information on high fuel efficiency, low emission, advanced technology, and alternative fuel vehicles. Green Car of the Year(R) is a registered trademark of Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc.