(Thu 10 Dec 09)

The Volvo C30 DRIVe with Start/Stop has been named Car of the Year by TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk. The 1.6-litre turbo diesel version of Volvo's smallest car, which has official combined fuel economy of 74.3mpg and a 99g/km CO2 rating which makes it exempt from road tax, was the unanimous choice of the magazine's writers, and also performed spectacularly in a recent readers' poll.

Of the 4189 people who voted, 81% of them went for the C30. The second most popular car was the Toyota Prius, on 6%.

"The C30 1.6D DRIVe with Start/Stop technology is genuinely a fantastic addition to the 'green scene' this year," said website editor Faye Sunderland. "In such a short space of time, Volvo successfully slashed its emissions and as a relative newcomer in the green car market, it is impressive to see the Swedish carmaker make such strong progress in such a short time. A deserved winner, Volvo can afford to be very proud of the C30 DRIVe as its flagship green model."

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