The Ford Focus ECOnetic has been named WhatGreenCar's 2008 green car of the year, beating advanced technology from BMW and low emissions from Volkwagen. Judge Ben Lane talks through the winning and shortlisted cars here and explains the choice in his blog

With petrol prices continuing to rise, sales of SUVs are slowing and car buyers are looking for leaner machines. But in the first WhatGreenCar? car of the year award likely contenders such as the BMW 118d, with its EfficientDynamics stop-start and regenerative braking technology, and the ultra-low emission VW Polo BlueMotion 1 have been beaten by an altogether more familiar name – the Ford Focus, with its 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic version.

Ben Lane, WhatGreenCar? managing editor and award judge, explains why and talks us through the shortlisted cars.

Winner

Ford Focus ECOnetic

FORD Focus 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic

Category: Family

Lifetime impact rating: 33/100 (0 best, 100 worst)

CO2: 115 g/km

This Focus is the first model in the diesel ECOnetic range, the name Ford has given to its new range of low CO2 models that will be rolled out to the Mondeo later this year and the Fiesta in 2009. The engineering behind ECOnetic includes recalibrated engine management and power steering system, and an improved aero-profile (the car is almost 1cm closer to the ground compared with a regular Focus, has a lower grille and new front bumper skirt, a rear spoiler and slimmer tyres).

The emissions improvements are achieved without fitting longer gear ratios (as adopted by the VW BlueMotion and BMW EfficientDynamics models). The results of these changes for the Focus ECOnetic 109PS is CO2 emissions of only 115g/km (65.6mpg on a combined test cycle) and an impact rating lower than the bench-mark Prius hybrid. Priced from £16,050, the Focus ECOnetic slots into the Focus range between the Studio/Style versions and top end Zetec/Titanium models.

Highly commended

BMW 118d

BMW 118d Saloon

Category: Family

Lifetime impact rating: 34/100

CO2: 119 g/km

The 118d earns its green badge by adopting BMW's EfficientDynamics technology package aimed at cutting emissions while maintaining performance. For the 118d, this includes a new optimised four-cylinder common-rail diesel engines, regenerative brakes that recharge the battery on braking and reduce fuel consumption by up to 7% (the 118d is the first model in the BMW range to use this technology), and an Auto Stop Start Function which cuts out the engine when in neutral. Together with an "optimum shift point indicator" (better known as an "econometer" which tells you the optimum point to change gear to keep emissions down), these innovations result in increased output, reduced fuel consumption, and significantly lowered CO2 emissions. For the 143 bhp 118d, CO2 emissions are among the best-in-class at 119 g/km CO2 (62.8 mpg combined test), while performance is an impressive 0 to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds. The EfficientDynamics technology employed by the 118d led in March this year to the car being declared the 2008 World Green Car. From £18,350.

VW Polo BlueMotion

VW Polo 1.4 BlueMotion 1

Category: Supermini

Lifetime impact rating: 29/100

CO2: 99 g/km

The first model to be launched under its BlueMotion badge, this is in essence a stripped-down version of the standard diesel model (no air conditioning or central locking etc) and is fitted with a 1.4-litre three-cylinder turbo diesel engine. To reduce environmental impact, a particulate filter and improved oxidation catalytic converter have been fitted. The gearbox has also been given longer ratios to maximise fuel consumption, even at motorway speeds. The aerodynamics have also been improved through the use of a new smooth grille and revised front spoiler, smaller door mirrors, subtle side skirts and a rear boot spoiler to reduce drag. The model is also fitted with lower rolling resistance tyres mounted on specially designed alloy wheels. The result is very impressive combined test fuel economy (74. 3 mpg) and carbon emissions of only 99 g/km, which means there's no road tax to pay on the car. However, the 78 bhp unit will still give 110mph and a 0-62mph time of 12.8 seconds. From £12,120.

Other shortlisted cars

NICE Mega City



NICE Mega City

Category: City car

Lifetime impact rating: 6/100

CO2: 0g/km

On the surface, the Mega City electric vehicle looks like any other small city car. Apart from the almost silent running, most people wouldn't know that there wasn't an internal combustion engine under the bonnet. With a top speed of 40 mph and range of only around 50 miles, the Mega may not compare well with conventional cars for driving performance, but as one of the greenest 4-wheelers available in the UK its green credentials are unbeatable. Built with an aluminium frame clad in ABS plastic and glass, the Mega is also fully recyclable. The car comes in a two-seat/large load bay or four-seat configuration. Twelve lead-acid batteries installed beneath the front seats power a 4kW (5.4 hp) motor housed under the bonnet, driving the front wheels. A full recharge takes eight hours, but the batteries respond well to frequent top-up recharging. Priced from £10,498 - with fuel costs of around 2p per mile (roughly 5 times cheaper than the fuel costs of similarly sized petrol cars).

Mini Cooper D

MINI Cooper D 108bhp 1.6litre diesel

Category: Supermini

Lifetime impact rating: 30/100

CO2: 104 g/km

The revised low emissions model is now capable of an impressive 72.4mpg with, CO2 emissions of only 104g/km and it is one of the cleanest UK super-minis. The Cooper D's high fuel economy is achieved in part by the use of Intelligent Alternator Control (IAC) and a regenerative braking system. The engine also includes an auto start-stop function that switches the engine off when the vehicle is stationary and the driver puts the car into neutral - engaging the clutch restarts the engine. The new model also includes a "switch point display" that recommends to the driver when to change gear to maximise fuel economy. These new technological modifications to improve fuel efficiency are being rolled out across all the MINI model variants - the result is a 6.5% fuel economy improvement for the MINI One, 6.9% for the Cooper, 10.3% for the Cooper S and 12.8% for the Cooper D as compared to previous models. From £14,420.

VW Golf BlueMotion

VW Golf BlueMotion TDI

Lifetime impact rating: 34

CO2: 119g/km

After the Polo, Passat Saloon and Passat Estate, the Golf is the fourth in the VW line-up to wear the BlueMotion badge, identifying it as the most economical model in the range. The TDI's 77 kW / 105 PS diesel engine provides a hefty 250 Nm of torque and the car requires just 4.5 litres fuel per 100 km (62.8 mpg combined, CO2 119 g/km), 0.6 litres per 100 km less than the original model (55.3 mpg, CO2 135 g/km). In common with others in the BlueMotion range, the emissions improvements have been achieved by the use of a recalibrated engine management system that reduces idling speed, a particulate filter, longer gear ratios, improved aerodynamic design, and low rolling resistance tyres. The top speed is electronically limited 118 mph. From £15,565.

Fiat Bravo MultiJet

Fiat Bravo 1.6 MultiJet ECO

Category: Family

Lifetime impact rating: 34

CO2: 119g/km

Available in either 105 bhp or 118 bhp variants, the 1.6-litre direct injection common rail unit is a development of the 1.9-litre engine created under a partnership with General Motors. While the more powerful version directly replaces the 1.9-litre 8v diesel with the same power output, it's the 105 bhp engine that is used across the majority of the Bravo diesel range. Although the new ECO model shares the same power unit, it has longer gearing and an ECU set for low CO2 emissions of just 119 g/km (62.7 mpg combined). Although not quite Euro 5 compliant, our impact rating of 34 means this diesel just beats the Prius hybrid for overall environmental impact. From £14,150.

Toyota Prius

Toyota Prius

Category: Family

Lifetime impact rating: 35

CO2: 104

There isn't much that hasn't been said about the Prius, the world's first and bestselling commercial hybrid car. Since its launch in 1997, the Prius has collected rave reviews and a loyal customer base - and has recently (last month) clocked up its 1 millionth global sale. With the current model (the Mark II) Toyota has extended its market lead for hybrids, leaving most of its competitors behind. Indeed it plans to hybridise its complete car range, and also will launch a new Prius model sometime in 2009. As you may already know, hybrids work by using a temporary energy storage device (usually a battery), which enables the engine to be operated at close to its maximum efficiency. For the Prius this means CO2 emissions of only 104 g/km, a test fuel economy of 65.7 mpg (combined), and a very respectable 0 to 62 mph in 10.9 seconds (max Speed 106 mph). From £17,780.

 Ben Lane is the managing editor of WhatGreenCar?.

Find out more about the lifetime impact rating used by WhatGreenCar?.