2016 Green Car of the Year Awards: here’s why the 5 finalists are special

The Green Car of the Year Awards have been around for a decade now, showcasing environmental progress in the automotive industry by crowning an efficiency champion each year.

Interestingly, the first three years of the Green Car Journal competition saw hybrids reigning supreme, before a couple of diesels from Volkswagen and Audi put a cat amongst the eco-friendly pigeons.

Of course, thanks to the emissions-cheating scandal currently engulfing the Volkswagen Group, both of these so-called “clean diesel” models have since had their trophies rescinded. Ouch.