The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion Named Best Green Small Family Car

The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion has been named Best Green Small Family Car by What Car?

The award was announced at an awards ceremony at Battersea Power Station in London. What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: "The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion shows that it is still possible to be green by simply improving the technology that is already proven and available at the moment. The Golf offers a seamless driving experience that is hard to differentiate from a regular diesel Golf. It also has loads of luxury and safety features."

The Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion is powered by a 1.6 litre TDI, developing 105PS and 250Nm of torque from 1500rpm. Fuel economy is 74.3mpg on the combined cycle and emissions are 99g/km. These figures are achieved thanks to technologies including a Start/Stop system, low rolling resistance tyres, battery regeneration, revised gearing, a multifunction computer providing gear change recommendations and aerodynamic revisions.

Andrew Bannister, Head of Group Environmental Management, said: "I'm delighted to accept this award on behalf of the Golf. Amid a raft of environmental developments in the industry, the BlueMotion remains one of the most solid performers and sensible choices. It retains all the safe, practical and reliable virtues of the standard Golf model while returning class-leading fuel economy and carbon dioxide figures. A best-selling family favourite made even better."

BlueMotion is an umbrella term for Volkswagen's innovations which help to cut motoring costs through fuel efficiency and emissions.