LOS ANGELES - One of five finalists will be selected as the winner of the 2010 Green Car of the Year award, to be announced Dec. 3 during a press conference at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.

This year's five finalists are:

• Audi A3 TDI.

• Honda Insight.

• Mercury Milan Hybrid.

• Toyota Prius.

• Volkswagen Golf TDI.

The Green Car of the Year award is a program that honors environmental leadership in the automobile field and recognizes vehicles that are readily available to consumers during the award year. Green Car Journal editors perform an exhaustive review of vehicle models to identify the five finalists. The winner is ultimately decided by jurors such as Jay Leno, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Carroll Shelby, Matt Petersen of Global Green USA, and the Sierra Club's Carl Pope, along with Green Car Journal editors.

"We're seeing the trend for 'green' cars emerging at all levels, from entry-level cars to luxury models, and even performance cars and SUVs/crossovers," said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com.  "Plus, an array of technologies and fuels as well as strategies like lightweighting and reducing rolling resistance are being applied to the challenge.  Greater choice provides buyers a personal stake in lessening environmental impact, and that's important."

This is the first time an Audi vehicle has made it to the final five, according to show organizers.

The 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show will be open to the public Dec. 4-13. For more information, visit LAautoshow.com.