While previously big-talking politicians managed to avoid coming to any meaningful agreement at the Copenhagen climate summit in December, you needn't be so inept you can still do your bit for the environment by considering a greener car.
The latest generation of hybrids has arrived in the last few months the darling of many a Hollywood celebrity is the Toyota Prius which is now in its third generation and has been racking up glowing reviews because of its practicality, comfort, economy and low emissions (a combined figure of 72.4mpg and CO2 emissions of 89g/km respectively).
Meanwhile, still smarting from being on the losing side in previous eco clashes with the Prius, Honda is hoping to have better luck with its recently released second generation Insight its quest for domination could be helped by the Honda's Prius-beating price but remember, it also has lower MPG figures (64.2 combined) and higher CO2 emissions (101g/km).
If you fancy something a little more exclusive, Lexus has launched its latest incarnation of the RX450h, a hybrid SUV it might sound like an oxymoron but with a combined cycle of 44.8mpg and reasonable CO2 emissions of 148g/km plus a host of other green technology under the bonnet, dealers are able to keep a straight face when extolling the big car's green credentials.
For those of us who can't face kicking the combustion engine to the kerb quite yet, there are a host of new releases hitting showrooms very soon, all claiming to be better for the environment. The 2010 version of the Seat Leon Ecomotive continues to bring a little Spanish style to the green market if you plum for the new entry level Ecomotive, expect a combined mpg of 74.3 plus a mere 99g/km of CO2 emissions so there'll be no need to pay any road tax. From the French, we have the new Citroen C3 Airdream+ that offers the company's fuel-saving 'Stop and Start' system,the same emissions as the Leon (so again say goodbye to road tax) and boasts a combined mpg of 74.3.
For those wanting something a little more upmarket, the Germans are continuing to make inroads into the green arena the new Audi A3 1.6 TDi produces the same low amount of emissions as both the C3 and Leon and a start-stop system coupled with energy recuperation systems such as brake energy regeneration. Stack that all up and you're looking at a green car with a respectable combined mpg of 61.9 while boasting the kind of torque you'd expect from something decidedly less green.
