Toyota Mirai was declared the 2016 World Green Car recently at the New York International Auto Show.

In order to win the award, tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine components), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility, were all taken into consideration.

The Mirai was chosen from an initial entry list of eight new vehicles from all over the world.

“Just as Prius changed the world nearly 20 years ago, the hydrogen-powered Mirai is ready to make history,” said Hassan Jameel, vice chairman for domestic automotive, Abdul Latif Jameel (ALJ).

“With a range of over 500 km per tank, a refueling time of less than five minutes and emissions that consist only of water vapor, Mirai is leading the world forward toward a more sustainable future,” he added.

Takayuki Yoshitsugu, chief representative, MENA Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “As recognized pioneers in hybrid technology, we are truly honored to have received such an award. With the Mirai, Toyota is taking the opportunity to really make a difference for future generations through the adoption of hydrogen fuel-cell technology in order to reduce harm to the environment.”

Toyota is no stranger to the World Car Awards program — now in its 12th year. The Toyota Prius 2010 has previously earned Top Three in the World status for both the World Green Car and the overall World Car of the Year categories.

Vehicles in all award categories were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprising 73 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world.

Sharing a history of more than 60 years, the legendary relationship between Toyota Motor Company and ALJ Company has grown into the leading automotive dealership in the Kingdom and the biggest Toyota independent distributor in the world.