LOS ANGELES >> The Chevrolet Volt was named 2016 Green Car of the Year on Thursday at the Los Angeles Auto Show, in recognition of improvements to every aspect of the extended-range hybrid, which was first introduced in 2011.

Judges noted the 2016 model’s "sleek and sporty design, more energy-dense batteries, new electric motors, and quicker acceleration." The car has a more efficient, 1.5-liter engine-generator that creates onboard electricity to power the Volt’s motors for a total of 420 miles.

The Volt beat a field of finalists that included the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata and Audi A3 E-Tron.

The 2016 Volt is the second generation of the hybrid, and went on sale this fall with a range of 53 miles on electricity alone — beating the automaker’s prediction that the second-generation car would reach 50 miles under battery power.

The annual award is given by the Green Car Journal, which uses a panel of independent judges. This is the 10th year of the award, which named the BMW i3, a plug-in hybrid made of carbon fiber, as the winner last year.