Based on the calculations of the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle), the ADAC (the German car club) has released its 2008 ranking of green cars sold in Europe. The 5th EcoTest, as it's called, produced a list based not only in the amount of CO₂ produced per km, but also other considerations such as particulates and hydrocarbons. ADAC selected more than 700 cars for its test, with and without air conditioning, and applied the forementioned NEDC numbers to draw its own conclusions.

The results are quite similar to last year's report. The worst model was the Opel Zafira, which got 33 points just like in the previous test. Renault took a downturn, losing 6 of its previous 69 points. Why? The new Clio is much heavier than the old one and lost fuel efficiency.

The big winner is, again, the Toyota Prius, with 89 points and 4 stars, followed by another hybrid, the Honda Civic IMA with 87 points. non-hybrids did well, too: with 82 points the VW Passat Blue Motion fitted with a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) was third. Fourth and fifth were the Passat's siblings, the Skoda Octavia TDI (with DPF) and the Superb TDI. Sixth place goes to the gasoline-powered Skoda Octavia 1.6 TFSI.

ADAC made clear with the release of this ranking that it is more important to produce low-polluting cars not as niche models, but as mainstream models. Find ADAC's top EcoTest performers and a little more about the points system after the jump.

Toyota Motor Europe President Tadashi Arashima says that the company has plans for eighteen completely new or heavily revised models which will emit less than 140 grams of CO₂ per kilometer by the end of next year. Those sound like very ambitious plans but Toyota, which currently averages 149g/km for its line of vehicles in Europe, could be capable of such heroics. If they indeed make this happen, it would mean that half of all Toyotas sold in Europe would meet that low carbon emission target, up from roughly thirty percent last year. Under newly-proposed European Commission rules, Toyota would need to average roughly 127g/km of CO₂ emissions by 2012, so an aggressive mid-range target such as this one might be a necessity.

No indication of how Toyota plans to implement these new standards was given. Interestingly, Arashima suggests that some cost increases would need to be passed on to the consumer, but the Japanese company would take a wait-and-see approach before making any adjustments of its own. Consumer acceptance towards other brands could set a precedent for Toyota to follow.

[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req'd]

It had to happen: since most European brands have created "eco" signature labels to mark their lowest-CO₂ emitting models, it's time for Lancia, which belongs to the Fiat group, to do the same. What's it called? The "Ecollection."

Lancia has modified its Musa model, the subcompact minivan showed above, to produce less than 119 g/km of CO₂ (118 for the automatic version) by means of using the well-known1.3 Multijet diesel engine found elsewhere in other Fiat-group models, reducing the suspension and installing some aerodynamic tweaks. Prices start at €18,990 in Spain, where the Muso Ecollection is elligible for another low number: 0 percent tax.

[Source: Lancia via Econoticias]

Click the Fiesta for a high-res gallery

We got our first look at the production version of the 2009 Ford Fiesta a couple of weeks ago and most of you were overwhelmingly positive about it. The new Fiesta is coming to America in at least four-door sedan and very likely hatchback form as well. Last fall in Frankfurt, Ford announced that they would create ecoNetic low CO₂ versions of most of their cars starting with the Focus. As Ford shows the Fiesta publicly in Geneva this week, they are expected to announce an ecoNetic version as well. Ford hasn't announced details yet other than that the ecoNetic model will get CO₂ emissions below 100g/km and it would have only a small price premium over the standard model. It will almost certainly use a small diesel engine combined with low rolling resistance tires, low friction transmission fluid, different gear ratios and some aerodynamic tweaks to get those low numbers.


[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

Not long ago, we published a list of SUVs available in Germany with the highest mileage possible. But what about - at least on legal terms - how much CO₂ a car produces? Never fear. Auto-News has a list of the "cleanest" SUVs on sale in Germany (and I'd say most of the EU), all of them producing less than 200 g/km of CO₂, so it complements that previous list which had no information about CO₂. Just remember that automakers should have an average of 130 g/km in four years' time.

Most of these models are also available in the U.S. but, as usual, without the high-mileage diesel powerplants Europeans love. The list is after the jump. Vehicles with DPF (Diesel Particulate Filters) have these letters added to the marque and model. The picture above shows the SUV in the 20th position, the SsangYong Actyon 200 Xdi 4x2.

[Source: Auto-News]

Meet the Concept A-Star, the latest entry from Suzuki which will be introduced at the Auto Expo 2008 in New Dehli, India. The model, which was developed and will be produced by Maruti, Suzuki's partner in India, is set for export to European markets as well the Indian market.

Besides the styiling, which I quite like for such a small car, the A-Star promises to beat Europe's current gasoline fuel-misers (with the exception of hybrids): the Peugeot 107/Citroën C1/Toyota Aygo triad. Suzuki is developing a brand-new 1.0 liter engine with promised emissions under 109 CO₂ g/km. No diesel is expected to be installed in this vehicle, which will surely hurt sales in a significant way, but the car will allow British buyers to pay the cheapest tax rate possible (£35).

Related:

• Subaru's Justy supermini now on sale in the UK
• Toyota contemplating the iQ for the US market
• New Opel Agila clocks in at 120 g/km of CO₂

[Source: Suzuki, Autoblog en Español]