Toyota Yaris named 2008 Green Car of the Year

Toyota Yaris 1.4-litre D4-D presented with Green Car of the Year badge for overall services to the environmental cause and making drivers coffers go that little bit further. Four times further than a Dodge Viper for instance.

The Environmental Transport Association developed their annual Green Car Buyer’s Guide – which ultimately provides these statistical winners - after reviewing more than 1300 vehicles currently on sale in the UK. Research for the guide focused on power, emissions, fuel efficiency and even noise levels of the vehicles. Something which Toyota rose to the challenge with as the Japanese car manufacturer charted highly in three separate Top Ten’s within.

Yet the Toyota you first think of when asked the green question, wasn’t the definitive answer it appears, and not alas deemed the champion of champions.

No. That automotive honour went to the Toyota Yaris.

The three-door and five-door Toyota Yaris is many things to many people. Thing is, if those people are green, they generally dismiss the Yaris with a shrug of the shoulders and settle instead on the Prius. The sturdy, erstwhile wind-cheater and O/S map of the green car world. Or so we all thought until now.

In timely fashion – and therefore just ahead of Green Transport Week (June 14 – 22) – the Environmental Transport Association has appeared stage left, wandered on over and placed a rosette on the bonnet of the Toyota Yaris 1.4-litre D-4D.

Which has irritated the EfficientDynamics off the BMW 320d and embarrassed the particulate filters off the Honda Civic Hybrid. And just what the Prius thinks is anyone’s business as it’s beaten into third place by its sibling.

The Toyota Yaris 1.4-litre D-4D however generates a paltry 119g/km of CO2 emissions and can get its driver 12,000 for a few quid over £800, based on some rough calculations derived from its 62mpg petrol-station swerving capabilities.

The Yaris aside, here’s the list of the top ten overall winners;

Toyota Yaris

Honda Civic Hybrid

Toyota Prius

Renault Modus

Citroen C1

Toyota Aygo

Peugeot 107

Renault Clio

Toyota Auris

Suzuki Swift

Whilst the separate categories looked a little like this;

Green Supermini of the Year – Toyota Yaris

Green Small Family Car of the Year – Honda Civic Hybrid

Green Small MPV Car of the Year – Renault Modus

Green City Car of the Year – Citroen C1/Peugeot 107/Toyota Aygo

Green Large Family Car of the Year – BMW 3 Series 320d Saloon

Green Sports Car of the Year – Vauxhall Tigra, MY2008 2-door Convertible

Green MPV Car of the Year – Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor

Green Executive Car of the Year – BMW 5 Series 520d Saloon

Green Off road Car of the Year – Toyota RAV4

Green Luxury Car of the Year – Jaguar XJ 2.7-litre Diesel Saloon

Worst Green offenders in 2008

Unsurprisingly the rude boy of the eco-savvy car scene carried an American passport and whistled the Star Spangled banner as it went. And was officially named and shamed as the Viper SRT-10 owned by Dodge, which was roundly ostracised for its flagrant – and not so fragrant – use of its 8.3-litre lump. The 500bhp Dodge offers the driver 13.3mpg and will cost its blissfully ignorant owner the equivalent of £3,500 per 12,000 miles covered. Still, if you’re going to dismantle the atmosphere, you might as well do it in 190mph style.

The worst offenders list would gain players some amazing points were they participating in a hand of Top Trumps, yet sadly makes them losers in the eyes of everyone else. Lying just below the Viper is the Lamborghini Murcielago, Ferrari 599 GTB, just about every current Bentley model, some more Ferrari’s and the Aston Martin DBS.