Honda hybrid named most eco friendly car
The most ecologically friendly car on the market for 2009 is the Honda Insight, the Touring Club of Switzerland announced on Wednesday.
For 26 years, the group has compiled annual data on which automobiles rank best in categories including emissions, fuel efficiency and noise pollution.
The five-seat Honda hybrid sits at the top of the 2009 “EcoMobiList” with 101g of carbon dioxide emitted per kilometre.
The Japanese-made car sips 4.4 litres of fuel per 100km, which translates into about 53.5 miles per gallon.
The Insight beat the Fiat Punto 1.4 by just 0.1 points on the club’s index. The third-most ecologically friendly model is the Toyota IQ 1.0, which is similar to the compact Smart car but with room for four people.
In fourth and fifth place sat the Fiat Panda 1.2 and the Citroën C3 1.4i GNV. The Toyota Prius 1.5 and the Honda Civic 1.3, which took top honours in 2007 and 2008, slipped to sixth and seventh place respectively.
A federal committee has proposed a bonus system for rewarding consumers for purchasing fuel-efficient cars. Environmentalists as well as automobile industry advocates have shown little support for the idea, saying it is bureaucratic, complicated and with limited benefits for consumers.
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