The greenest cars in Britain

The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) today announced the winners of its 2007 Car Buyers’ Guide, the definitive guide to Britain’s greenest cars, at an awards event at RIBA in Central London hosted by television presenter and broadcaster, Janet Ellis.

The Honda Civic Hybrid takes the top award for the second year running, winning the overall award as well as the award in its own Small Family Car category.

Vauxhall wins the supermini category with its Corsa 1.3 CDTi, also overall runner-up and the Toyota RAV4 5 Door diesel manual rates as the greenest off-road vehicle in Britain. In the Luxury car category the Jaguar XJ 2.7 diesel auto wins again as the greenest choice. The Car Buyers’ Guide highlights winners and losers in a range of categories, rated in terms of power (engine capacity), CO2 emissions, fuel consumption, noise and finally safety (impact on pedestrians).

The Guide also ‘names and shames’ the worst offenders in terms of damage to the environment with Lamborghini taking the double with its Diablo Roadster as worst offender for the third year running, and the brand new Murcielago Roadster, listed as the second worst offender.

“The big problem is not the Lamborghinis because there are not many of them on the road,” explains Andrew Davis, director of the ETA. “The issue is that people are still buying cars that are much too big for their real needs.

“Large off-roaders, like the Jeep Cherokee or the Porsche Cayenne, highlighted as the worst Off-road cars are three times as damaging to the environment as, for example, a Mazda 6, winner in the Large Family Car category. But with congestion charging and even parking charges relating to CO2 emissions the number of off-roaders being purchased during the last year has already declined by 15%.”

The Guide was first published by the ETA in 1992 in response to requests from its growing membership and has since become the environmental benchmark for the car industry and the public, championing the greenest cars in Britain.

"We know that increasing numbers of people want to make informed choices about cars particularly in terms of carbon emissions and the damage caused to the environment,” explains Andrew Davis. “It is not surprising that the winner this year is again the Honda Civic Hybrid. What is more striking is the huge range between the best and worst - the greenest and the least green cars in Britain today.

Manufacturers don't make cars that consumers won't buy. It needs consumer pressure alongside government leadership to help persuade manufacturers to allow us the choice to buy cars that are more environmentally sound."

For the first time this year the ETA has introduced an Innovation Award in order to champion a motor manufacturer that has demonstrated environmental innovation through a new product, or project, or in its production processes. The winner for this first award is Saab for its Bio Power Flex-Fuel Technology. Saab has developed the first production car that runs on E85 bio fuel.

Cars are increasingly an emotional purchase where we are now being asked to consider the cost to the environment alongside style and comfort. The ETA Car Buyers’ Guide provides information on 2,500 models and shows the best buys in every category.

The ETA is the provider of Britain’s only climate neutral automotive breakdown service, and considers helping people to choose which car to drive as one of its most important objectives. Cleaner motoring advice is just a click away with the ETA.