Audi’s clean diesel sedan fought off stiff competition from the likes of the Toyota Prius to win the Green Car of the Year Award at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week.

Last year’s winner was a fellow clean diesel vehicle, the Volkswagen Jetta, making it a two year scoop for the diesel cars. However Volkswagen weren’t too unhappy to have their crown stolen by the Audi A3 as Volkswagen AG also owns the Audi brand.

This year’s winner of the Green Car award was praised by the judges for its ability to provide all of the environmental features possible, and at the same time offering a car which is both stylish and fun to drive.

The Audi A3 TDI boasts great fuel efficiency and is able to achieve 42 miles to the gallon while on motorway runs.

The Toyota Prius’s reign as the leading green car may look like coming to an end as other manufacturers are also catching up with the technology. According to experts at the Auto show, the Prius failed to impress the judges this time round as the third-generation model showed little change from its predecessor meaning it hadn’t developed further from the last Prius.

Green Car Journal editors and other invited industry experts make up the judging panel for the top Green Car Award. Other finalists for the top prize included the aforementioned Prius, also the Volkswagen Golf TDI clean-diesel, the Honda Insight hybrid, Ford’s Mercury Milan hybrid.