Honda edges Chattanooga-made VW Passat diesel for Green Car of the Year

Thursday, November 17, 2011

photo Honda Motor Co.'s vehicles are on display at the automaker's headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, in this file photo.

The 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas vehicle - the only factory-built, CNG-powered car produced in America - was named 2012 Green Car of the Year at the Los Angeles Auto Show today.

VW Chattanooga-made Passat diesel was one of five finalists along with the Civic. Others were the Ford Focus Electric, Mitsubishi i, and Toyota Prius v.

Making the green call were the editors of The Green Car Journal joined by representatives of major environmental groups and automotive enthusiasts. Among those were Carl Pope, chairman of the Sierra Club; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; comedian Jay Leno and car designer Carroll Shelby.

The 2012 Civic Natural Gas went on sale on Oct. 18 with a manufacturer's suggested retail price starting at $26,155.

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