Honda won the prestigious "Green Car of the Year" award Thursday, for its 2014 Accord lineup at the Los Angeles Auto Show. This should help the company boost its sales of the winning model.
Green Car Journal , the renowned auto industry magazine has awarded the 2014 Honda Accord lineup as the "Green Car of the Year" at the Los Angeles Auto Show held Thursday. The jurors, including "Tonight Show" host, comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno, opted to honor the popular gas-electric hybrid version as an environment friendly car.
Honda offers its highest selling model, Accord, in different powerstrain options, including a new 50 mpg hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The Accord lineup, led by the popular Accord Hybrid, is known for its good gas mileage coupled with effective pricing. The four-cylinder gas-powered model ranges from about $22,000 and the plug-in gas-electric hybrid retails for about $40,000. The mileage for hybrid plug-in records up to 115 mpg.
"With its efficient internal combustion, hybrid and plug-in choices, the 2014 Honda Accord delivers exactly what consumers are looking for today," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and Carsofchange.com, according to L.A. Times. "It all comes together this year for the Accord in ways that speak to significant environmental performance built into a mainstream, volume model that's a joy to drive."
This is not the first time the Japanese car maker has won the Green Car award. Honda has been honored twice in the last three years with the 2012 Civic Natural Gas prize . The 2014 Honda Accord beat the other nominations including Audi A6 TDI, BMW 328d, Mazda3, and Toyota Corolla.
The Green Car Journal introduced the Green Car of the Year award to honor the best in clean, fuel-efficient technology with the most positive impact on the environment. While the hybrids and diesel models took this year's spotlight, the magazine will have some tough contenders next year. Hyundai plans to sell its first hydrogen-powered Tucson SUV next year in the United States. Other companies including Honda and Toyota are also likely to join the race.
