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The Green Car Journal gave the 2009 Green Car of the Year award to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI at the Los Angeles Auto Show, after beating five other vehicles included in the best-of-the-best 2009 green vehicles. These were BMW 335d, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid, and smart fortwo. The 2009 Jetta TDI is a quiet-running, diesel-powered car which beat out hybrids and mini-cars to take the title. The Jetta uses a technology called "clean diesel" which actually lives up its name very well. It has a very clean tailpipe, and an EPA estimated 41mpg(17.7kpl) highway fuel economy.
"The Volkswagen Jetta TDI rose to the top as Green Car Journal's 2009 Green Car of the Year® for some very important reasons," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com. "Hybrids have dominated the discussion of environmentally positive vehicles in recent years. The highly fuel efficient, 50 State emissions certified Jetta TDI shows that advanced clean diesel has arrived and is poised to change this dynamic. With its affordable price point, refined ride and handling, and high fuel economy, the Jetta TDI shows that hybrids now have a strong competitor in the marketplace."
The Jetta has a diesel particulate filter to further reduce particulate emissions, and it has uses a NOx-storage catalyst, which is basically a reservoir that temporarily holds the noxious emissions, like a particulate filter, until they can be burned off during one of the engine cycles.
The Jetta TDI has a 2.0-liter engine with a common-rail fuel injection system, instead of VW’s traditional mechanical system, this uses piezoelectric fuel injectors. This technology permits higher injection pressures, which better atomize the fuel and make it easier to control pollution. This car has also got itself the Guinness World Record for Lowest Fuel Consumption after averaging 58.82 mpg while traveling through the 48 continuous US States. An independent, real-world test study with the Jetta TDI conducted by leading third-party certifyer AMCI, returned 38 mpg(16.7 kpl) in city and 44mpg(18.9 kpl) under highway driving conditions.
Award Ceremony Gallery
Source: World Car Fans
