Best in Class

Best in class:
BMW X1 2.0 D - 136g/km

Best of the rest:
Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0 TDI 140 Bluemotion - 139g/km
Skoda Yeti 2.0 16V TDI 110E - 140g/km
Hyundai iX35 2.0 CRDI - 147g/km
Lexus RX 450h - 148g/km

Four-wheel drives are the enemy according to some environmental campaigners. And in many cases they are. But, not all four-wheel drives are high producers of CO2 as this list shows. None of the models in this list exceed 150g/km which shows just how far this segment has improved. The compact new BMW X1 is the lowest-emitting off-roader developed thus far, but there are a few other models close behind. The Lexus with its hybrid technology is only in fifth place, but that is because it is a size larger than all the other models in the list. It is certainly well ahead of any other off-roader of the same size. The vast majority of 4x4s bought today are diesels; in future we can expect more hybrid offerings.