The cleanest combustion-engined cars on sale today

Being environmentally conscious is more important than ever. It’s particularly apparent in the motoring industry, where stricter emissions testing has come into place and manufacturers across the board focus on making their cars cleaner and better for the environment.

But which cars are doing this best? Of course, it’s common knowledge that electric cars emit less during daily driving, but which conventionally powered cars emit the lowest? Let’s dive in and have a look.

Citroen C1 – 108g/km

Let’s kick things off with the dinky Citroen C1. Thanks to its lightweight nature and compact engine, it’s able to emit respectable CO2 figures of just 108g/km. It might not be as at-home on the motorway as others on this list, but for no-frills motoring, it’s hard to beat.

Renault Clio 1.0 TCe – 117g/km

Renault’s Clio has historically been a great option for those looking to keep costs down, and the latest version adds low emissions into the mix too. At 117g/km CO2, it’s one of the lowest-emitting petrol-powered cars on the list.

Now with a much-improved interior and more tech than before the Clio certainly feels more grown-up, yet just as much fun to drive as the original.

Fiat 500 1.0 Mild Hybrid – 88g/km

It’s little wonder that Fiat’s popular 500 is on this list. After all, the firm has championed the use of efficient, compact engines in its smallest model for some time. Now, there’s an even cleaner hybrid model, which combines a small petrol engine with a tiny battery and motor setup to help improve emissions.

It’s worked, too, with Fiat claiming impressively low emissions figures of 88g/km, helping to make this car one of the cleanest available today – short of EVs, of course.

Vauxhall Corsa 1.5 Turbo D – 109g/km

Sounding the siren for diesel is the Vauxhall Corsa. All-new and sharper than before, the 1.5-litre diesel-powered Corsa actually emits less than the petrol equivalent – 109g/km down from 120.

The diesel also affords the Corsa a little more in the way of flexibility, allowing it to feel more adept on the motorway.

BMW X5 xDrive45e – 69g/km

Here we get into the hybrid segment good and proper, with BMW’s latest electrically assisted X5 hybrid. Emitting just 69g/km CO2, this big SUV outshines many others when it comes to emissions.

And thanks to the combination of electric motor and 3.0-litre straight-six engine, there’s plenty of performance to be found, too.

Audi Q5 TFSIe – 49g/km

In a similar vein to the BMW, Audi’s Q5 TFSIe combines petrol power with electrical assistance to help achieve better emissions. It’s a plug-in, too, which means that you can more effectively recharge the batteries via the plug.

Emissions of 49g/km CO2 are impressively low, too, and that figure is accompanied by an excellent driving experience and solid interior quality.

Land Rover Evoque P300e – 38g/km

Land Rover has just announced a hybrid version of its incredibly popular Evoque – badged P330e. Like others here, it pairs up a petrol engine with an electric motor to reduce the emissions from the exhaust pipe.

And with CO2 emissions of 38g/km, that process has paid dividends. It turns it into one of the lowest-emitting hybrids on sale today, in fact.