The talk is over and now the winner has been announced – the Volkswagen Jetta is the green car of the year.

You might have expected an innovative hybrid or electric car to scoop the honour, but the diesel-powered VW Jetta TDI was said to “epitomise what the green car of the year honour is all about” according to Ron Cogan, publisher of the Green Car Journal.

It achieves excellent fuel efficiency at 31mpg in the city and 41mpg on the highway, while proving comparatively affordable. Its success represents a breakthrough for diesels in the US – although they make up around half of new car sales in Europe, they account for less than one per cent of new cars sales in the USA.

The Jetta TDI beat out close competition from the likes of the BMW 335d diesel, the Ford Fusion hybrid, the Smart Fortwo and the Saturn two-mode hybrid.

The vehicle, which went on sale in the US in August, has sold about 8,000 models so far and succeeds the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid SUV as the green car of the year award winner.