Green Car of the Year: Triumphs of efficiency
Green Car Journal announced its 2016 Green Car awards at this year’s Washington Auto Show in three separate categories recognizing different vehicle classes. The winners include the Connected Green Car of the Year, Green SUV of the Year, and Luxury Green Car of the Year. Launched in 1992, Green Car Journal focuses on how automobiles affect our environment.
It hosts events, produces ride and drives of the most advanced clean fuel vehicles available, and aims to educate consumers about making green car choices. Winners of Green Car of the Year awards are selected by a panel of automotive experts with the very first award given to the Mercury Mariner hybrid back in 2006.
The awards don’t focus solely on how green a car is, but weigh efficiency along with safety, performance, and value. They also consider the availability of a given vehicle, striving to find cars that are accessible to large numbers of people. In order to encourage automakers to continue developing new technologies that reduce the impact of cars on our environment, the awards also seek out new models that push the boundaries of automotive engineering.
Taking the honor of 2016 Luxury Green Car of the Year was the Volvo XC90 T8, which is the first seven-passenger plug-in hybrid SUV. It is powered by a 2.0-liter supercharged and turbocharged Drive-E engine with 400 horsepower for plenty of performance. It delivers an EPA-rated 53 MPGe and can travel up to 17 miles solely on electric power.
Different drive modes let the driver balance performance and efficiency depending on their needs. The default mode, Hybrid, will alternate between the gas engine and electric motor automatically. Pure mode keeps the car on the electric battery while Power offers better performance. The final two choices are AWD mode and Save mode, which leaves the battery level untouched for use at a later time. Finalists in this category included the BMW X5 xDrive40e, Lexus RX 450h, Mercedes-Benz C350e, and Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid.
The Honda HR-V won the 2016 Green SUV of the Year. The HR-V has a fuel economy of 35 mpg highway while offering the comforts of a larger SUV in a smaller crossover.
Grabbing the award for 2016 Green SUV of the Year was the all-new Honda HR-V. The compact crossover boasts a 1.8-liter engine with 141 horsepower. This is a new addition to the Honda lineup and the third Honda model honored by Green Car Journal in the last five years. Prior Honda winners include the 2012 Civic Natural Gas and the 2014 Accord.
The HR-V has a fuel economy rating of 35 mpg highway and is also designated an Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle. It manages to pack the comfort and features of larger SUVs into a sporty and compact crossover that has a reduced impact on the environment. The HR-V won out over finalists, including the BMW X1 xDrive 28i, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-3, and Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
The 2016 Chevy Malibu Hybrid won the Connected Green Car of the Year award for offering both excellent fuel efficiency and the latest in vehicle technology.
Rounding out the awards as 2016 Connected Green Car of the Year was the Chevy Malibu Hybrid. It offers both excellent fuel efficiency and the latest in vehicle technology. The powertrain for the Malibu is derived from the Chevy Volt and provides an estimated 47 mpg combined. The Volt was previously recognized at the Los Angeles Auto Show as the Green Car of the Year and is the only vehicle to receive that award twice.
The Malibu’s fuel efficiency is complemented by technology, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, to make staying connected while you’re on the go easier than ever. Advanced safety features in the Malibu include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision alert, and Teen Driver. Finalists up against the Malibu included the Audi A3 e-tron, BMW 330e, Toyota Prius, and Volvo XC90 T8.
The Greenest Cars of the Year according to greenercars.org
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