Kia, Karma pick up top 'Green Car' awards
A little crossover from Kia was named Green SUV of the Year and a sexy, exclusive plug-in hybrid car was honored as Green Luxury Car of the Year at the Washington, D.C., Auto Show.
The compact crossover is the Kia Niro, a relatively new nameplate that was designed to make owning an ecologically friendly SUV more affordable. The Niro hybrid starts at $23,340 for the hybrid and $27,900 for the plug-in hybrid, says the Green Car Journal, which created the awards.
"This kind of high efficiency is available to a wide range of buyers wishing to drive ‘green’ while limiting carbon emissions during their daily drives," the magazine wrote in explaining why the Kia came out on top.
In order to win, the Niro beat out Chevrolet Equinox, Mini Cooper S E Countryman ALL4, Mazda CX-5 and Volvo XC60 T8.
As for the Luxury Car of the Year, the winner is the Karma Revero.
The Revero is a startling sedan that is seeing a second life. It is the reincarnation of the Fisker Karma, the plug-in from a company that went out of business.
The Revero turned heads like no other ecologically friendly test car, said Green Car Journal publisher Ron Cogan. He said the Revero shows that a car can be sexy and eco-friendly at the same time.
"We designed the Revero to strike an elegant balance between design and advanced electric technology," said Jim Taylor, Karma Automotive's chief revenue officer.
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