Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has taken top spot in a set of awards for cars that mix modest thirst and emissions with the ability to entertain their drivers and keep running costs down in the real world.
The Outlander PHEV won the annual Green Apple awards organised by The Midland Group of Motoring Writers.
The Green Apple Awards were presented at the House of Commons. They are organised by the Midlands-based The Green Organisation and were judged by members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers.
Midland Group chairman Ian Donaldson said: “When The Green Organisation asked us for our current green champions we wanted to go further than some other awards and look beyond the official figures and rank our favourites in the real world, taking into account how they performed in our hands.”
One judge said of the Outlander PHEV: “Many car firms have claimed to have introduced a ground breaker in the past 12 months but this one really is. It embraces everything that’s good about new technology without compromise and has the potential to save you a small fortune. Mitsubishi’s decision to price it the same as diesel is the real clincher.”
Second place overall went to the diesel engined Honda Civic, which judges said astonished them with its real world economy.
MGMW Green Apple Awards results in full
Superminis – the Skoda Citigo
Smaller family cars – the Honda Civic with the 1.6 litre diesel engine
Larger family cars – the Peugeot 308
Smaller SUVs – the Nissan Qashqai
Electric hybrids or pure electric vehicles – the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Executive cars – the Audi A6