Mostly known for its Initial Quality Survey and Vehicle Dependability Study, J.D. Power and Associates also has a lot of interest in the environmental performance of vehicles, which is why it recently released a "2006 Alternative Powertrain Study" (APS).
The firm decided to combine data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and input from customers on a variety of environmental criteria, including fuel economy, emissions and air quality. All brands and vehicles - gasoline, diesel and hybrid powered - were then ranked to create an Automotive Environmental Index.
And the big winner, or the industry's most eco-friendly brand of cars, if you prefer, is Volkswagen. The people's car company came out on top in a field of 37 brands, beating out Asian rivals Honda and Mazda in the Top 3.
Volkswagen placed three products - all TDI versions - on the automotive researcher's list of low emission vehicles: the Golf, New Beetle and Jetta. Incidentally, the latter is industry's top-selling diesel vehicle. The new Touareg V10 TDI, which will soon become available in the United States, was not considered for the study.
"The APS is testament to our intensive and global commitment in the area of economic engines," said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, chairman of Volkswagen AG. "This innovative strength continues to have an impact, via our range of TDI vehicles. No other manufacturer has sold more diesel cars in North America and that upward trend continues."
The firm decided to combine data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and input from customers on a variety of environmental criteria, including fuel economy, emissions and air quality. All brands and vehicles - gasoline, diesel and hybrid powered - were then ranked to create an Automotive Environmental Index.
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| (Photo: Volkswagen d'Amérique) |
Volkswagen placed three products - all TDI versions - on the automotive researcher's list of low emission vehicles: the Golf, New Beetle and Jetta. Incidentally, the latter is industry's top-selling diesel vehicle. The new Touareg V10 TDI, which will soon become available in the United States, was not considered for the study.
"The APS is testament to our intensive and global commitment in the area of economic engines," said Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, chairman of Volkswagen AG. "This innovative strength continues to have an impact, via our range of TDI vehicles. No other manufacturer has sold more diesel cars in North America and that upward trend continues."