Go The Green Route

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday January 20, 2007

RICHARD BLACKBURN

Just four cars score top marks in the Government Green Vehicle Guide for tackling global warming and air pollution, writes RICHARD BLACKBURN.

A senior Toyota executive recently said the car industry was in danger of becoming the new tobacco industry. He was talking about growing community unease about the effect of cars on the planet and the people who live on it.

Australians are becoming more aware of climate change. Snow in Queensland in November sharpens people's focus.

But climate change isn't the only serious side effect of this nation's car habit. A recent parliamentary report suggests that up to 1400 deaths a year can be attributed to air pollution, with car exhaust fumes a major culprit.

If you buy one of the four cars we've chosen this week, you can breathe easy on both counts. They are Australia's only five-star performers in the Government's Green Vehicle Guide, which measures vehicles for their contribution to both global warming and air pollution.

There are some surprises. The first is that only four cars get the Government's top ranking for environmental friendliness.

The second surprise is that there are no diesels to be seen. With diesel cars all the rage now, manufacturers frequently boast about how good diesel is for the planet.

Which is only half true. Diesel typically performs well in carbon dioxide emissions (which contribute to global warming) but it lets the team down big-time in air pollution.

Despite new regulations, diesel-powered vehicles continue to pump out significantly more particle matter than petrol and, as a result, only one diesel vehicle makes the top 100 tree-huggers on the Green Vehicle Guide list: the recently released Mercedes-Benz R-Class.

Toyota Prius, from $37,000

The darling of the Hollywood jet set, the Prius is the ultimate statement of environmental correctness. But if you are going to make a statement about your green credentials, the Prius is an expensive one.

Toyota will tell you that it's worth every cent but it is charging European prices for a Japanese car. You're swapping a prestige badge for an environmental badge of honour.

Plenty of people appear happy to dojust that, though. Prius sales were up 38.7 per cent last year and last December the Prius outsold established names such as the Audi A4, the Holden Statesman and the Mazda Tribute.

One attraction may be resale value. The Prius holds its value better than some European luxury marques. Dealers are advertising two-year-old Priuses with up to 60,000km on the clock for up to $30,000.

The Prius's official fuel consumption guide is 4.4 litres/100km but that figure doesn't necessarily do the car justice because the official testing cycle is biased towards country driving, where the Prius uses its petrol engine the most.

Unlike conventional petrol cars, the Prius's biggest strength is in stop-start traffic. The car automatically switches off its 57kW petrol engine as it comes to a stop. The electric motor then accelerates up to 40kmh before the petrol engine kicks back in. In Sydney peak hour, it's quite possible that the electric motor will be the only one you use for large parts of your journey.

Some Prius owners claim to have travelled more than 900km on one tank of regular unleaded petrol.

There are two models of Prius. The standard model is reasonably well equipped, although it lacks side and curtain airbags.

The i-Tech model is $46,500 and includes side and curtain airbags, stability control, satellite navigation, a rear parking camera, a premium sound system, wireless mobile phone connection and leather upholstery. It accounts for more than half of Prius sales.

The car is reasonably roomy inside. It's interior space is somewhere between a Corolla and a Camry.

Toyota recently increased supply of the Prius and that may prove problematic for the brand, as part of the attraction of being a Prius owner is the exclusivity. Tellingly, discounts have begun to appear.

On the road the Prius is competent, if not engaging, to drive. All the controls are well laid out, the cabin has plenty of room and the seats are comfortable. The brakes are a bit wooden and the ride is a little firm but not uncomfortable.

The main attraction of driving a Prius is the readout that tells what's happening underneath you.

A diagram shows you when you're using the petrol engine, when you're using the electric motor and when your braking is regenerating energy for the battery. It also tells you how little fuel you are using.

It all becomes a little addictive and you find yourself driving to conserve fuel and trying to beat your best consumption score. And the kids love it, too.

Mercedes-Benz A150, from $29,900

A Mercedes-Benz for less than $30,000. That is the main appeal of the A-Class. But the little German is also a good citizen of the globe, with its 70kW, 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine using just 6.7L/100km of fuel.

That doesn't make it the most frugal small car on the market but the Mercedes earns its environmental stripes with a clean-burning engine that already meets Euro IV emissions standards.

For a small car, the Mercedes has top-notch safety. It scored five stars in NCAP testing and has dual front, side and curtain airbags, as well as traction and stability control.

The original A-Class had a big embarrassment soon after its 1997 launch, when a Swedish magazine employee managed to roll one during a swerve-and-recover test. Mercedes was forced to recall a few thousand cars and fix the suspension. Since then the baby Benz has been popular.

A new model in 2005 dealt with a few of the early complaints about the car, with a more upmarket interior befitting the luxury brand.

Interior surfaces are soft to touch, the fit and finish is high quality and all the controls are easy to use.

The Mercedes A-Class also has a surprising amount of head and leg room for a small car, thanks to its tall body. The only complaint is a lack of storage pockets.

On the road, the current generation A-Class has improved noticeably over its predecessor. A longer and wider wheelbase make the car feel more secure on the road, while standard stability control has widened the safety net.

The ride has also improved, although it does tend to pitch over rough roads.

If a Euro badge is important to you, then the baby Benz will do the job with minimum impact on the environment.

Fiat Punto, from $19,990

If you want to save the planet and look good doing it, the Fiat Punto is the pick of the bunch. Styled by famous Italian design house Giugiaro, the pint-sized Punto is one of the most stylish hatches on the market.

It is also one of the most economical. In diesel form, it has the lowest fuel consumption of any conventional car on the Australian market, just shaded by the Prius, at 4.5L/100km.

But a less-than-perfect air pollution rating means the diesel bows out here to the 1.4-litre petrol model, which is still very frugal.

The manual version of the petrol Punto, which comes in three-door and five-door guises, uses 5.9L/100km.

A new semi-automatic gearbox, available since October, reduces consumption further, to 5.7L/100km. Importantly, the new automatic gives bigger fuel savings in city driving, where it uses 6.8L/100km, compared with 7.5 for the manual.

Both versions qualify as five-star cars for safety. The auto costs $21,490, $1500 more than the manual.

The 57kW Punto is no rocket, requiring lots of right foot to get it moving. Drive hasn't sampled the semi-automatic gearbox but would expect it to perform better than a conventional auto.

Once you're up and running, the little Italian is nimble and enjoyable to drive.

Inside, it has a reasonable amount of space, even in the back seat, which split-folds to give access to a decent-sized boot.

There are a couple of ergonomic issues, though. For people with bigger feet, the driver's footwell is pretty tight and the pedals tricky to navigate. The cup holders are also awkwardly placed and interfere with gear changes on the manual.

The cabin looks quite stylish but the materials are a little low-rent, with hard plastics on the dash and in the door trim. There isn't a great deal of storage room either.

There's also no spare tyre, just a puncture repair kit.

Citroen C3, from $21,990

Citroen's C3 is the most powerful of our five-star green fleet.

The French car maker launched an updated version of the C3 last February, with a more powerful and modern 1.6-litre, four-cylinder engine supplementing the existing 1.4-litre engine.

Surprisingly, the 1.4-litre C3 doesn't get a five-star Green Guide rating. It uses less fuel than the 1.6-litre but it is let down by its emissions performance.

The new powerplant puts out 80kW and Citroen says the C3 will travel from 0-100kmh in 10 seconds. It has 10kW more power than the A-Class but uses less fuel - 6.5L/100km, official figures show.

Citroen also improved the C3's safety package by fitting anti-lock brakes with brake distribution and brake assist as standard equipment. The C3 has front and side airbags but no curtain airbags are available.

The C3 also now comes with an automatic version but that uses half a litre more fuel every 100km and is not listed as a five-star vehicle on the Green Guide.

Inside, the C3 is funky and surprisingly spacious, thanks to its tall, bubble-like shape, which provides good head room.

The instrument panel is easy to read, with a large digital speed read-out to keep you on the right side of the law.

The interior layout is practical, with a height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, plenty of storage bins and a split-fold rear seat that provides access to a decent load area.

The C3 is reasonably well equipped for its price, with standard air-conditioning, CD player, trip computer, 15-inch alloy wheels (on the 1.6-litre) and steering wheel audio controls.

It also stands out from the crowd in traffic, with quirky looks that hint at the post-war classic 2CV.

On the road the Citroen is competent but not as nimble as its sportier C2 stablemate.

It soaks up bumps well for a small car and the steering is reasonably sharp.

The C3 is a four-star NCAP safety performer.

© 2007 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home