British Motor Show 2008: Greener cars

As we've come to expect, almost everyone has something 'green' they're keen to show off at the motor show, and it's a genuine opportunity to compare the options under one roof. Here are some of the production cars, and greener concepts, which caught our eye.

Citroën C-Cactus

C-Cactus is a diesel hybrid concept car

This isn’t the first time Citroën displayed its intriguing C-Cactus concept, which deserves a closer look. Instead of being about whizz-bang technology, Citroen is exploring some ideas in reducing the part count (and weight) in its family cars.

To this end, the number of components in the door assembly has shrunk from 24 to three. And wind-up windows are considered unnecessary on an air-conditioned car; therefore Citroën has replaced them with simple sliding glass.

Some of the technology previewed on this concept, including the ultra-efficient diesel-hybrid drivetrain, will debut in Citroën’s C4’s replacement due sometime in 2010.

Ford Fiesta Econetic

The British Motor Show represents the first opportunity for British motorists to acquaint themselves with the new Fiesta, a model that’s bound to be popular in this country.

We took a close look at the Econetic version, which joins existing Focus and Mondeo Econetic models in offering high fuel economy and low CO2 emissions.

In addition to being free from road tax, Ford claims the Fiesta Econetic can average a very impressive 76.3mpg. We can’t wait to test these claims, and put the other Fiesta versions through their paces, too.

Honda OSM Low Emission Sports Car

Honda's OSM sports concept

This untitled concept, dubbed ‘Open Study Model’, is an exploration into design possibilities for future Honda sports cars.
It’s intended to be a fun sports car without being a gas guzzler. 

‘There is no reason why a car that’s more environmentally friendly can’t look great too – and be sporty and fun to drive,’ said Andreas Sittel, OSM Project Leader. We agree - and the OSM certainly does look the part...

Honda CR-Z concept

Not much has been revealed about Honda’s CR-Z concept, which reminds us very much of its 1980s forerunner - the much-loved CR-X hot hatchback.

But Honda says this car previews much that will be seen on a forthcoming hybrid model, expected towards the end of next year. Based on this, we can’t wait to see it.

NICE Ze-O

The first all-electric MPV

You probably won’t have heard of NICE before, but the company’s name reflects its ambition: No Internal Combustion Engine.

The all-electric Ze-O caught our eye: it looks pretty much like a ‘normal’ car, about the size of a Vauxhall Meriva mini MPV. NICE says there’s a real demand for more practical family cars - hence the Ze-O.

The range (in urban motoring) was quoted as 65 miles, with a top speed of 50mph. That’s based on an overnight charge of 6-8 hours. NICE estimates running costs to be as low as 2p per mile, depending on your electricity tariff.

Build quality in the Chinese-built Ze-O leaves much to be desired (especially considering the steep asking price of £14,000). Nevertheless, NICE anticipates brisk sales from the October launch date. We’re still be convinced family buyers will make the switch.

Seat Leon Ecomotive

Stylish eco Leon

Seat has revealed its Ecomotive edition of the pretty Leon medium hatchback. The spec sheet reads similarly to the VW Golf BlueMotion on which the car is based, so the car is capable of more than 60mpg.

Arguably, the Leon Ecomotive is better looking and better value for money than the Golf - it’s more than £1,800 cheaper, at £14,270. This car joins the (old model) Ibiza and ageing Alhambra which are both also offered in low-emissions Ecomotive form.