1/7/2010
Toyota's innovative Prius has won the international Green Engine of the Year award.

It is the fourth victory in five years for Toyota's acclaimed Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the prestigious International Engine of the Year awards.

A panel of 72 motoring journalists from 35 countries, including Australia, tested and judged the engines for the 2010 awards, which were presented at Engine Expo 2010 in Stuttgart, Germany.

The Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive was described by the judges as "the essence of mechanical, electric and electrical ingenuity in one affordable package".

The judges went on to say that the Prius hybrid is "still the best green technology available on the market - reliable and durable, with very low real life CO₂ emissions".

Toyota's iconic powertrain technology is one of the most successful in the history of the International Engine of the Year, with a total of 11 titles since the awards began in 1999.

Toyota Australia launched the third-generation Prius 12 months ago with the latest Hybrid Synergy Drive system, which combines a 1.8-litre engine with a powerful electric motor.

Prius is Australia's greenest car, according to the Federal Government's Green Vehicle Guide, with the lowest greenhouse and air pollution emissions of any car sold in Australia.

Official figures reveal the third-generation Prius emits just 89 grams of CO₂ per km and travels 100km using only 3.9 litres of fuel (official ADR 81/02 combined cycle)*, an improvement of 11.3 per cent over the previous model.

Toyota Australia's senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner said Prius is an essential part of Toyota's development towards its global goal of sustainable mobility.

"The new-generation Prius took a further leap forward with an improved Hybrid Synergy Drive system that increased performance at the same time as cutting emissions to levels never before seen in Australia," said Mr Buttner.

"Now Toyota's highly-acclaimed technology has rightfully been recognised by again winning the Green Engine of the Year award."

For the fourth year in succession, Toyota also won the 2010 'Sub-1.0-Litre Engine of the Year' category with the three-cylinder 1.0-litre VVT-i engine sold in the European Aygo, Yaris and iQ models.

Toyota has won a total of 22 International Engine of the Year trophies (out of a total 144) over the 12-year history of the awards.

* Fuel consumption will vary depending on driving conditions/style, vehicle conditions and options/accessories. Source of fuel consumption data: ADR 81/02 combined cycle.

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