The Dacia Duster, Small Sports utility Vehicle, is another winner at this years annual Green Apple Awards

• Dacia Duster collects Small SUV title at the 2016 Green Apple Awards
• Second consecutive time Duster has won the award
• Praised for its no-frills approach to motoring
• Sixth annual awards from the not-for-profit organisation

The Dacia Duster won the Small SUV title at the sixth annual Green Apple Awards this morning at the Houses of Parliament. The ‘shockingly affordable’ Duster was voted into first place for the second consecutive year thanks to its affordability and ruggedness and running costs.

The automotive-based honours at The Green Apple Awards, organised by the Midlands-based The Green Organisation, are judged by members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers. Marks were awarded by judges for the way a car drives and behaves in the real world, away from the testing laboratory.

One of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers said: "It’s cheap, it’s cheerful, it’s rugged and does what it says on the tin without any fuss or needless frills. The running costs are great, as is the price to buy or lease.”

Louise O’Sullivan, Head of Dacia UK said: “We’re delighted the Duster has once again been recognised by such a well-respected environmental group as the Green Organisation. The Duster underwent a facelift earlier this year and its popularity amongst the British public has shown no signs of slowing.

“It has been challenging preconceptions since launch thanks to Dacia’s no frills approach to motoring and impressive reliability. The Green Apple judges have proved just how economical the Duster is, too.”

Dacia has been a real success story in the UK since its launch in 2013 finding over 88,000 customers thanks to the brand’s clear value for money and no-nonsense approach. Duster, the tough SUV, has struck a particular chord with Britons having seen 6,905 sales in the first 10 months of the year alone – up 20.4 per cent on the same period last year.

The multiple award-winning Duster has been a part of the Dacia range since the brand’s launch in the UK in January 2013 and is the most affordable SUV on the UK market – priced from £9,495 with the Green Apple Award-winning dCi 110 4x2 starting at £12,495. The dCi 110 4x2 outputs 115g/km of CO2 and offers up to 64.2mpg (NEDC Combined). The Duster is available in a choice of four trim levels, with 1.6-litre naturally aspirated or 1.2-litre turbo charged petrol or 1.5-litre dCi diesel engines and in 4x2 or 4x4 set-ups.

The Green Organisation, based in Northamptonshire, was established in 1994 as an international, independent, non-profit, non-political, non-activist environment group, dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world and invites entries from all parts of industry for its annual Green Apple Awards.

The small car master, Suzuki, does it again with the Celerio taking one of the awards at the Green Apple Environmental Awards.

Award for Celerio from The Green Organisation

The Celerio Dualjet has won another accolade at the annual Green Apple Environmental Awards held at the House of Commons on 11^th November. The awards, organised by The Green Organisation cover many different industries and the Automotive category is judged by the Midland Group of Motoring Writers.

Chairman of the Midland Group, Ian Donaldson comments: “This is the sixth year we have saluted the greenest cars you can buy and, crucially, enjoy owning and driving. 

Our prize winners are chosen by our 27 members whose words are read across 400 media outlets both in print and online all over the UK and beyond”.

Launched in the UK in February 2015, the supermini champion for 2016 is the car that was runner-up last year - in the shape of the petrol powered Suzuki Celerio Dualjet.

The Celerio was again up against some strong competition and impressed the judges with one commenting "It is a remarkably driveable and economical city car."    

Priced at £8,649, the Celerio with its 1.0-litre Dualjet petrol engine enables it to attain 78.4mpg on the EC Combined fuel consumption cycle and achieve very low CO₂ emissions of just 84g/km. Dualjet technology positions the fuel injectors very close to the engine inlet valves and allows for a finer fuel atomisation (or mixture) which in turn provides a more effective transfer into the cylinder. 

For customers looking at a low deposit together with a low monthly payment option, Celerio is available with a range of highly competitive Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) offers until the end of 2016. As an example, the SZ2 at £6,999 is available for a deposit of £1,912 followed by 48 monthly payments of just £79 and an optional final payment of £2,322 to own the car. The SZ3 Dualjet model is available for a deposit of £2,168 with 48 monthly payments of £105 and a final optional payment of £2,718.

With its high levels of standard equipment, low cost of ownership and generous interior and luggage space the Celerio is proving very popular with UK customers with over 15,000 sold to date since launch.

The Renault ZOE has taken the top prize at the 2016 Green Apple Awards, judged by members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers

The all-electric Renault Zoe has taken top honours at the 2016 Green Apple Awards, presented at the House of Commons and singling out cars that are both good to drive and economical in the real world.

The awards, presented on Friday (11 November) are organised by the Midlands-based The Green Organisation and judged by members of the Midland Group of Motoring Writers.

After clinching the category for pure electric and hybrid cars, the Zoe went to take the Green Apple champion title, beating a diesel version of the Audi A6 in second place overall.

One of the judges said of the Zoe: "It is by some measure the most convincing all-electric vehicle I've driven. So good, in fact, than it only takes a few miles to forget what's powering you along so convincingly."

Midland Group chairman Ian Donaldson presented a Renault representative with the top place award at the House of Commons.

MGMW Green Apple Awards in full

SUPERMINIS

The Mazda2 1.5 litre diesel had to be content with second spot this time, after a category win last year.

The supermini champion for 2016 is the car that was runner-up in 2015 - in the shape of the petrol powered Suzuki Celerio Dualjet.

One judge said: "It is a remarkably driveable and economical city car."

SMALLER FAMILY CARS

 Second place went to the Honda Civic 1.6 i-DETC, chosen, as one of the judges said, "because it is stylish, good to drive and refined, and one of the most genuinely economical cars in its class."

The winner is another British-built hatch - the new Vauxhall Astra 1.6 CDTi 110 Ecoflex.

A Midland Group judge commented: "The new Astra shows there's lots of life left in diesels."

LARGER FAMILY CARS

Here, the fight was, perhaps not surprisingly, between a couple of cars from Germany.

In the end second place went to the BMW 320d ED with the winner emerging as the Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI Bluemotion.

SMALLER SUVs and 4x4s

A whole year has not been able to shake the judges from their 2015 decisions.

That means in second spot we have the Nissan Qashqai 1.5dCi 110 2WD while the winner - for the second consecutive year - is the Dacia Duster 1.5 dCi 110 4x2.

A judge said of the Dacia: "It’s cheap, it’s cheerful, it’s rugged and does what it says on the tin without any fuss or needless frills. The running costs are great, as is the price to buy or lease."

PURE ELECTRIC AND HYBRID CARS

The Uber driver's favourite Toyota Prius drives quietly into second spot.

The winner this year, though, is the Renault Zoe, the French car maker's entry into affordable purely electric family transport.

EXECUTIVE CARS

In second place is the impressive Jaguar XF E-Performance but it has to give way to this year's winner, for the second year in a row - the Audi A6 2.0 TDI Ultra.

One of our judges said: "The Audi has a build quality that is second to none. Love the handsome looks, the logical switchgear – the fuel tank that keeps on giving – and the effortless mile munching, planted drive."

OVERALL GREEN APPLE CHAMPIONS for 2016  

In second spot was the Audi A6.

A judge said: "It offers performance, practicality prestige, frugality and a fit and finish that justifies the price-tag."

But taking the top step this year is the Renault Zoe.

A judge said: "The Zoe shows Renault's commitment to the future of electric power in an affordable package that looks good, drive well and does its bit to make the planet a little bit greener."