The 2020 model year is an important one for ‘green’ cars as an increasing number of more environmentally positive vehicles make their way to market. What’s also notable is that this is happening across the board, from entry-level sedans and luxury cars to pickups and crossover/SUVs.

Green Car Journal undertakes an extensive vetting process that considers the universe of potential ‘green’ finalists in the U.S. market and narrows the field to a top five in popular, high-profile award categories. Winners are identified in each of these categories, with awards presented by Green Car Journal editor/publisher Ron Cogan and senior editor Cam Benty at awards press conferences in Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Washington DC.

Award winners earn their Green Car Awards™ distinctions by raising the bar in standing out with their exceptional efficiency, desired features, and a satisfying driving experience, Along with the standard hallmarks of safety, value, performance, and style, efficiency and affordability to the mass market are important elements in the selection of Green Car Awards™ winners. Substantial numbers of more environmentally positive vehicles such as these on the nation’s highways brings a cumulative and significant reduction of carbon emissions and fuel use over time.

The winner of the magazine’s legacy Green Car of the Year® award – presented at the LA Auto Show since 2005 – is selected by a high-profile jury that includes leaders of national environmental and efficiency organizations, auto enthusiast/entertainer Jay Leno, and Green Car Journal editors. Rising to the top for consideration as 2020 Green Car of the Year® were the Ford Escape, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Soul, Mazda3, and Toyota Corolla. And the winner? Toyota’s all-new 2020 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid.

Featuring a more sophisticated look and riding on a stiffer platform with independent multilink rear suspension, the 12th generation Toyota Corolla features improved ride and handling and a full complement of driver assist systems rivaling those found in more expensive models. The conventionally-powered Corolla achieves notably high fuel economy of up to 31 city/40 highway mpg, with the Corolla Hybrid rated at an impressive 53 city/52 highway mpg. Importantly, affordable price points for both conventional and hybrid variants make them approachable to a great many buyers and not just a select few.

Also presented at the LA Auto Show, 2020 Green SUV of the Year™ finalists included the Ford Explorer Hybrid, Honda CR-V, Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and Toyota RAV4. Taking the win for 2020 Green SUV of the Year™ was the Honda CR-V and its new CR-V hybrid variant.

Honda’s popular CR-V offers an array of design and technology refinements for 2020 along with the important addition of an all-wheel drive hybrid version, the first hybrid Honda SUV sold in the U.S. The CR-V Hybrid uses Honda's efficient two-motor hybrid system to deliver an expected 50 percent fuel economy increase over the already-fuel efficient gasoline model. CR-Vs come standard with the full suite of Honda Sensing safety and driver-assist technologies.

Recognizing environmental leadership in the light truck category is increasingly important considering the huge number of pickups sold each year. Pickup enthusiasts are increasingly interested in style and connectivity, but also for the fundamentals that trucks are famous for, whether that’s handling commercial duties, towing a boat or trailer, carrying loads of gear, or just comfortably seating a family of five. Increasingly, buyers also want pickups offering greater efficiency and improved environmental impact. The Green Truck of the Year™ award recognizes leadership in this arena and is presented annually at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in San Antonio, Texas, in the heart of ‘truck country.’

This year’s 2020 Green Truck of the Year™ finalists included the Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, Ford Ranger, and RAM 1500. All offer far more sophisticated capabilities and greater environmental performance than the workhorse pickup trucks of years past, while also featuring the high levels of comfort, safety, and drivability of their passenger car counterparts. Green Car Awards™ jurors honored the RAM 1500 as the 2020 Green Truck of the Year™, the second year in a row this exceptional has earned this honor.

Its distinction as 2020 Green Truck of the Year™ is testament to the focus that RAM 1500 has on filling the needs of everyday drivers and tradesmen, while offering higher efficiency that decreases fuel use and carbon emissions. Along with its appealing design, lighter weight, and work-and-play functionality, RAM 1500 offers a new and more powerful 3.0-liter EcoDiesel powerplant that achieves an EPA estimated 22 city/32 highway mpg. A pair of eTorque mild hybrid powerplants, exclusive to the segment, deliver up to 20 city/26 highway mpg fuel efficiency. RAM 1500 features considerable towing and hauling capabilities and is equipped with the latest connected and driver-assist technologies.

The San Antonio Auto & Truck Show also hosted Green Car Journal’s inaugural 2020 Family Green Car of the Year™ award program. This high-profile award recognizes the increasingly important role that environmental performance plays in the family vehicle arena. Finalists included the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Hyundai Venue, Kia Niro, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, and Nissan Versa. These models represent the spectrum of vehicle types most appealing to families including sedan, minivan, and crossover SUV models powered by efficient internal combustion and plug-in hybrid power, at varying price points affordable to most families. Driving away with the first-ever 2020 Family Green Car of the Year™ honor was Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV meets the diverse needs of families while delivering value, style, performance, and notable environmental performance. This plug-in hybrid SUV is stylish, comfortable, and spacious enough to handle all the trappings of family life, while offering a very approachable cost for a plug-in crossover with its level of features. Among its strengths is a sophisticated series and parallel hybrid powertrain that enables 22 miles of driving on battery power alone for daily errands or commuting, or greater than 300 miles of travel on hybrid power. It can plug in to a household outlet, a 240-volt wall or public charger, or even a public DC fast charger for quickly replenishing its lithium-ion batteries.

The finale for Green Car Journal’s awards season is the Green Car Awards™ presentation at the  Washington Auto Show in Washington DC. This auto show, with its strategic adjacency to the halls of power that have long influenced environmental progress in the auto industry, is an ideal venue for the Green Car Awards™ that have been presented here since 2008.

In Washington, Green Car Journal honors the automotive field’s most important enabling technologies through its 2020 Green Car Technology of the Year™ award. The diverse technologies considered for this award are instrumental in making a new generation of more environmentally-positive vehicles possible. Finalists this year included BMW Wireless Charging, Ford’s Modular Hybrid Transmission, Hyundai Active Shift Control, Hyundai Continuously Variable Valve Duration, and Tesla V3 Supercharging. Rising above its fellow nominees was BMW Wireless Charging, which Green Car Awards™ jurors honored as the 2020 Green Car Technology of the Year™.

BMW Wireless Charging offers a new and innovative direction for the future of electric vehicle charging. Paired today with BMW’s 530e plug-in hybrid, this unique system uses magnetic induction to wirelessly charge a vehicle’s batteries without the need to plug in, shutting off automatically once charging is complete. The car’s center display guides drivers in positioning their car over the system’s charging GroundPad while parking.

The premium vehicle market is the focus for a growing array of electric, hybrid, and high efficiency models. These are honored by Green Car Journal’s Luxury Green Car of the Year™ award. Contenders this year included the BMW 745e, Karma Revero GT, Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring, Porsche Taycan, and Range Rover Evoque. Emerging the winner of the prestigious 2020 Luxury Green Car of the Year™ award was the Karma Revero GT.

Green Car Journal editors note that the Karma Revero GT exemplifies what can be accomplished with stunning design, great technology, and a sophisticated extended range electric drivetrain. Karma Automotive, a startup with manufacturing facilities in Southern California, devoted significant design and engineering efforts in evolving its earlier Karma Revero into the more sophisticated Revero GT that features new front and rear designs, all-new body panels, a sumptuous interior, and a new infotainment system. This restyled luxury sport sedan is not only compelling inside and out, but is motivated by an all-new series hybrid drivetrain delivering a greater 80 mile battery electric range, and 360 mile range overall with electricity from its BMW-sourced engine-generator.

Making it through Green Car Journal’s extensive vetting process to become one of the top five contenders for a Green Car Award™ is significant accomplishment. Selection as a finalist signifies that a new model or technology makes a notable contribution toward a new generation of cleaner, more efficient, and more environmentally compatible transportation. By virtue of their notable ‘green’ credentials and environmental achievement, each of the five finalists in all Green Car Awards™ categories is honored with Green Car Journal's prestigious 2020 Green Car Product of Excellence™ recognition.

First making its appearance in 1966, the Corolla has proved to be a serious mainstay for the Toyota brand. To date it has sold over 46 million copies worldwide, along the way becoming the best-selling nameplate in the world. Its sales have far surpassing that of the original Volkswagen Beetle, the ubiquitous everyman’s car that was seemingly everywhere for years on end, but in actuality sold less than half the number achieved by the Corolla. Unlike the Beetle that remained true to its unmistakably simple form over its lifetime, Corollas have seen many major redesigns over the years and this year’s 2020 Corolla sedan features the model’s most compelling redesign in decades.

As with previous models, the 2020 Corolla’s strengths are its affordability, reliability, and notably high fuel economy. Now, it can add style to that list of strengths…along with the title 2020 Green Car of the Year®.

The latest Corollas use Toyota's New Global Architecture (TNGA). This brings a stiffer platform with an independent multilink rear suspension that replaces the previous torsion beam setup. The standard base engine on lower-end L, LE, and XLE trims is the long-used and dependable 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine, rated at 139 horsepower. Stepping up to SE and XSE trims bring a 169 horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant to bear. Both are quite fuel efficient, with the 1.8-liter delivering 30 city/38 highway mpg and the 2.0-liter 31 city/40 highway mpg.

Power is delivered to the road through a 6-speed manual on the SE and an electronically controlled, continuously variable transmission on lower end models. Upper trims get a continuously variable transmission with intelligence. Shift Mode starts out with an actual first gear and then shifts to a CVT operation. Paddle shifters allow selection of 10 simulated gear ratios.

For optimum fuel economy there’s the new Corolla Hybrid LE model that features a 121 horsepower, 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four cylinder and a pair of electric motors. This highly efficient hybrid system achieves an impressive, Prius-like EPA estimated 52 combined mpg. Energy is provided by a 1.3 kWh nickel-metal hydride battery pack positioned under the rear seats, so trunk capacity is not compromised. Importantly, the Corolla Hybrid LE is priced at just $23,100, about $3,500 more than the base gasoline-powered model. Its high fuel efficiency, affordability to the masses, and huge worldwide sales means this model has an outsized impact on decreasing gasoline use and carbon emissions reductions.

In addition, this affordably-priced car offers a a full complement of driver assist systems that rivals those found in much more expensive vehicles. All versions have Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 as standard equipment. This package  includes Toyota’s Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Road Edge Detection and Sway Warning, Automatic High Beams, Lane Tracing Assist, and Road Sign Assist. Full-Speed Range Dynamic Cruise Control and Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist are also part of the package.

Our time behind the wheel of a Corolla Hybrid LE proved this vehicle to be a great daily driver. It’s roomier than you would expect, quite comfortable, and delivers a satisfying driving experience while achieving its pretty amazing fuel efficiency. Acceleration is decent though not particularly quick, but then, buyers of the Corolla nameplate in its many forms are not shopping for high performance. They are shopping for value, durability, connectivity, safety, and efficiency, and with the 2020 Corolla they get all this in abundance.

Plus, of course, they now get an all-new Corolla with surprisingly attractive styling. While that might not have been the tipping point for buyers looking for top value and efficiency over the years, it’s sure an important addition that will draw even more interest in this enduring nameplate. And let’s not forget that with today’s greater interest in environmental performance – including significantly lower carbon emissions – the Corolla Hybrid becomes even more compelling as a champion for the cause, all the while sporting more mainstream appeal than many hybrids that came before it.

The Toyota Corolla, the world’s best-selling nameplate worldwide with over 40 million sold since 1966, has long been a popular model due to its blend of efficiency and affordability. Toyota has upped its game with a completely-restyled 2014 Corolla that, for the first time, adds visual excitement with a more aggressive exterior design. The all-new compact sedan also brings improved driving dynamics and even greater efficiency, achieving up to 42 highway mpg delivered by the model's new Eco version.

This four-door compact sedan is offered in L, LE, S, and LE Eco versions. All are powered by a 1.8-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine. The L. LE, and S engines feature dual variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i), offering 132 horsepower and EPA estimated 36 to 38 highway mpg, depending on transmission choice. The fuel sipping LE Eco engine is equipped with the first use of Toyota's Valvematic technology in this country, with this new tech bringing 140 horsepower and a highway fuel economy rating of 42 mpg with a bit less torque. Valvematic, a tweak to the already-efficient variable valve system, works by minimizing intake-valve lift at small throttle openings to reduce parasitic pumping losses.

A driver selectable ECO function moderates acceleration and optimizes on-board systems to increase mpg by remapping the first half of the throttle travel for reduced response. The climate control system is also optimized to use less energy. The L variant uses a four-speed automatic transmission, while all others come with a continuously variable transmission with intelligence and shift mode (CVTi-S).

The 2014 Corolla offers impressive fuel efficiency, notably greater rear seat legroom than the previous generation, and high-value. Standard equipment includes LED headlamps, Bluetooth connectivity, air conditioning, power locks and windows, and eight airbags. All but the entry level L version have such desired features as a back-up camera, automatic climate control, cruise control, keyless entry, and Entune infotainment with a 6.1-inch touch screen as standard equipment.

Clearly, you get a lot for the money – one of the Corolla's endearing features. For 2014, buyers also get quite a satisfying driving experience for this class of vehicle and styling that requires a second look.

SPECIFICATIONS

Model: Toyota Corolla L, LE, S / Eco

Base-Level Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive

Type: Compact 4-door sedan

Base MSRP:  $16,800-$21,300

Engine: 1.8 liter four-cylinder

Emissions, EPA/CARB: ULEV-II, LEV3

Valves, Configuration: 16-valves, VVT-i or Valvematic

Horsepower @ rpm: 132 @ 6000, 140 @ 6100

Torque @ rpm: 128 @4400, 126@ 4000

Transmission:  Continuously variable transmission

Fuel Economy City, mpg:  27-30

Fuel Economy Highway, mpg:  36-42

Cruising Range, mi : 460

Passenger capacity: 5

Fuel Capacity, gal: 13.2

Curb Weight, lbs: 2855

Wheelbase, in: 106.3

Length, in: 182.6

Width, in: 69.6

Height, in: 57.3

 

If ever a time existed that underscored there is no single approach to offering ‘greener’ personal transportation, that would be now. The 2014 Green Car of the Year® program gives the Green Car Journal staff an opportunity to step back and examine all possible vehicles that exemplify green leadership and innovation, a daunting challenge that literally involves dozens and dozens of models that must be explored, examined, and dissected to determine their ‘greenness’ and importance in raising the bar in environmental performance.

Some would assume these vehicles to be exclusively electric, or perhaps ones that achieve the highest fuel economy in a given class. These considerations are important since higher efficiency not only reduces petroleum consumption but also has a direct correlation with lower CO2 emissions. However, criteria for the Green Car of the Year® program is more expansive and involves much more than fuel economy or energy use. Important, too, is the potential for a candidate to bring about substantial change and significant environmental improvement in the real world. That element gives additional weight to a model’s sales volume.

Among many other considerations is the requirement that candidates be a 2014 model on sale by January 1 of the award year. Price and availability are important since nominees must be approachable to buyers. Some models are priced at entry levels while others are more aspirational, a reflection of the market. Vehicles being considered are more compelling if they are all-new or in the early years of their model lifecycle. Models vetted in a previous award year are only considered in a new award year if truly significant changes to that model have occurred, such as an all-new redesign, a much more efficient powerplant, or the availability of a new hybrid or alternative fuel option.

At one time this was a straightforward and relatively simple process. When the Green Car of the Year program was launched in 2005, the number of ‘green’ vehicles to consider was easily managed since this was a relatively new category for automakers. Times have changed with wide-ranging ‘green’ choices now available to consumers at new car showrooms. The process of identifying five finalists is much more challenging, but also more gratifying since this means the auto industry has made a serious commitment to developing more environmentally positive vehicles.

With painstaking effort and an eye toward recognizing the brightest and the best, Green Car Journal editors present the deserving finalists for 2014 Green Car of the Year, models that also happen to be the magazine’s Top 5 Green Cars for 2014 and recipients of the Green Car Products of Excellence distinction.

Audi A6 TDI

Audi’s 2014 A6 TDI blends excellent ‘green’ credentials with unexpected levels of performance in a high efficiency vehicle. Its 3.0-liter, 6-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine with tiptronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive provides 240 horsepower and 428 lb-ft torque, achieving 0-60 mph in just 5.5 seconds. A start-stop system aids efficiency, as does a lightweight body that makes extensive use of aluminum body panels. This sedan features an EPA estimated 38 highway mpg that enables over 700 miles of highway driving range.

BMW 328d

Featuring the first 4-cylinder BMW diesel engine in the U.S., the new 328d combines exceptionally high fuel efficiency with the performance expected of BMW models. EPA estimated 45 mpg highway fuel economy is achieved with this sedan’s 2.0-liter TwinPower clean diesel powerplant, which produces 180 horsepower and 280 lb-ft torque. Efficiency is enhanced with engine auto start-stop and brake energy regeneration. A 328d Sports Wagon is also available. The models are offered in rear wheel drive or with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system.

Honda Accord

Honda’s popular Accord sedan aims to lead in the efficiency space with an array of efficient powerplant choices including four-cylinder, V-6, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid versions. Even the V-6, the largest engine option, nets 34 highway mpg with the four-cylinder rated at up to 36 highway mpg. The bar raises considerably with the Accord Hybrid at 50 city and 47 highway mpg, and the Accord Plug-In with its 47 city and 46 highway mpg on hybrid power. The Plug-In also offers an EPA rating of 115 MPGe, the highest of any mid-size hybrid sedan in the country.

Mazda3

The all-new third generation Mazda3, this automaker’s best-selling model worldwide, is lighter, more efficient, and packed with advanced electronics. The 2014 Mazda3 features an appealing new design and has been built from the ground-up with Mazda’s award-winning SKYACTIV technology. The 2.0-liter powered Mazda3 four-door sedan offers best-in-class 41 mpg highway fuel economy, with the five-door hatch coming in at up to 40 mpg. A more powerful 2.5-liter engine with an i-ELOOP capacitor-based regenerative engine braking system gets 38 mpg.

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla has long been a best-seller due to its blend of efficiency and affordability. With the all-new 2014 Corolla, Toyota adds visual excitement, improved driving dynamics, and even greater efficiency to its popular compact sedan, achieving up to 42 highway mpg delivered by the model’s Eco version. This level of efficiency is achieved with a 1.8-liter, 140 horsepower engine featuring the first use of Toyota’s Valvematic technology in this country. A driver selectable ECO function moderates acceleration and optimizes on-board systems to enhance mpg.

Green Car of the Year jurors include leaders of the nation’s major environmental organizations including Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club; and Matt Petersen, board member of Global Green USA, plus auto enthusiast and Tonight Show host Jay Leno. Green Car Journal editors round out the 2014 Green Car of the Year jury.

The Green Car of the Year will be announced during media days at the L.A. Auto Show, so stay tuned.