Once dismissed as smoky, smelly and noisy, diesel engines have certainly come a long way in the last few decades. So much so, that a diesel recently picked up the prestigious Green Car of the Year Award 2010, from the Green Car Journal, beating off tough competition from new technology hybrids.

The car in question was the 2010 Audi A3 TDI and it was the second time in two years that a diesel car has picked up the prestigious award. This new clean diesel technology brought particular praise from the judges because of it unique combination of performance, fuel economy and low CO2 emissions. The fact that the A3 TDI can operate on bio diesel was also seen as a big plus.