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WHAT'S HOT

» Low CO2 Cars
Without doubt, we will all know our CO2 emissions come July of this year because thanks to the new VRT laws you will be paying less for your car and much less road tax the cleaner your new motor is.

»Diesel
With sales of diesels expected to rocket this year and next year, the fuel that used to be thought of as dirty will prove itself to be rather desirable indeed from July.

WHAT'S NOT

» Petrol engines
Now that we will be paying more for our cars and indeed bigger road tax depending on the CO2 emissions of our cars, the petrol engine will no longer be as loved as it used to be.

» Road Tax
Come on guys, we pay enough for our cars through Vehicle Registration Tax. Asking us to pay up to €2,000 each year just to keep our car on the road really isn’t fair.

10 OF THE BEST LOW CO2 CARS

Toyota Prius

The one that got us all talking about cleaner cars, the Prius is now in its second generation and it is a much more complete car than before. Uses a combination of a 1.5-litre VVTi engine and an electric motor return good fuel consumption and the lowest CO2 figure available this side of walking.

Price: €30,090
Fuel Economy: 4.3 l/100km
CO2: 104 g/km

Honda Civic Hybrid

Works to a similar principle to the Prius, this time in the more orthodox shape of the Honda Civic saloon. Uses a CVT transmission, which is a little jerky in this car and it, is by no means thrilling to drive but it is good value and ticks the right eco boxes.

Price: €27,995
Fuel Economy: 4.6 l/100km
CO2: 109 g/km

Toyota Aygo / Citroen C1 / Peugeot 107

If you can bring yourself to drive what is such a tiny range of cars then you will be doing your bit for the environment by virtue of the fact that despite these being ‘regular’ petrol cars they are so light and so frugal that they are incredibly allergic to petrol and cough up small amounts of CO2.

Price: From €11,550
Fuel Economy: 4.6 l/100km
CO2: 109 g/km

Citoen C2 1.4 HDi

We haven’t seen many of these on the road so far, but this is a car that might just come into its own under the new VRT and road tax laws as it will be cheaper to buy and cheaper to run from July. The C2 is available as a three-door only but it great fun to drive and will appeal to a younger audience who want something cheap to run and easy to own.

Price: From around €15,995
Fuel Economy: 4.3 l/100km
CO2: 113 g/km

Daihatsu Charade

The dinky little Charade is not only clean, but very good value. If you can get over the slightly odd-looking shape then this would make a decent city runabout which when the CO2 laws change in July will boast an annual road tax of just €100.

Price: From €11,495
Fuel Economy: 4.8 l/100km
CO2: 114g/km

Fiat Panda 1.3 Multijet Diesel

The Panda has always been one of the best small cars and it will now become even more attractive thanks to its incredibly frugal diesel engine, which puts out just 114g/km of CO2. The Panda is surprisingly spacious inside and it easy to park and also quite fun to drive. The diesel is the version in the range.

Price: €14,450
Fuel Economy: 4.3 l/100km
CO2: 114 g/km

Citroen C3 1.4 HDi

The C3 has been a pretty slow seller in Ireland, but this might change now that one of its engines, the 1.4-litre diesel model will become more attractive thanks to its low CO2 emissions. The C3 is a spacious and softly sprung supermini that is high on comfort and comes with decent specification too.

Price: €17,950
Fuel Economy: 4.4 l/100km
CO2: 115 g/km

Mini Cooper 1.6 Diesel

The new diesel engine that powers the second-generation Mini is superb and as well as its impressive fuel economy, manages 118g/km CO2 and that is impressive stuff. For some it is still a bit odd to be driving a diesel powered Mini but €100 a year road tax from July on new models might convert a few people.

Price: €26,400
Fuel Economy: 4.4 l/100km
CO2: 118 g/km

Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi

The Fiesta is due to be replaced by a new model sometime this but it still remains a very popular choice and the 1.4-litre diesel is both incredibly frugal and produces low CO2 emissions. Expect a rush of activity for this car in the summer as run out models will be offered at low prices and with high specification.

Price: €16,920
Fuel Economy: 4.5 l/100km
CO2: 119 g/km

Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 Multijet Diesel

The Grande Punto is bigger and much more attractive than ever before and now Fiat’s policy of producing highly fuel-efficient engines will start to pay off with the new CO2 laws.

Price: €16,145
Fuel Economy: 4.4 l/100km
CO2: 119 g/km

Published in the February/March 2008 Issue of Irish Entrepreneur

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