Cars with eco-labelling all hype or good value?

By Reino Gevers Apr 28, 2010, 4:13 GMT

Hamburg - After decades of hyping its new models with faster, bigger and more fuel-guzzling attributes, the car industry appears to have made a complete change in strategy. Small, lightweight, low-consumption cars with an eco-label are all in vogue.

Every major car manufacturer is adding a touch of 'green' to its vehicle line-up with such fancy names as 'blue drive', 'eco flex', 'bluetec', 'EfficientDynamics', 'econetic' and 'Green Line.'

Whether it is all just an advertising gimmick or a real turnabout in thinking remains to be seen. Cars fitted with all the most modern eco-tech gadgets such as start-stop technology, downsized engines, hybrid, aerodynamic features and lightweight body panels are a good deal more expensive than the standard versions.

Paying several thousand euros or dollars more for an eco-car only makes itself pay with the lower fuel costs if you travel at least 30,000 kilometres a year, according to Germany technical testing authority DEKRA.

'Eco-cars consume on average between seven and eight per cent less fuel but the systems are only fully effective when coupled with fuel- saving driving habits,' says DEKRA's Clemens Klinke. The cars in fact have the potential to reduce consumption by up to 20 per cent with proper eco-drive training, he adds.

How far the car industry has in fact come since the 1970s when most people believed cheap oil would last for ever is revealed in a comparison between the first VW Golf I from 1974 and the latest model from the VW stable.

The first 37 kW/50 hp Golf from 1974 had a fuel consumption of 6.4 litres per 100 km and a weight of 750-805 kilograms. The 1996 Golf III GL fitted with a 115 hp motor was listed with a consumption of 8.7 litres with a weight of 1,185 kg.

Now compare the latest fifth generation Golf 1.2 litre TSI Blue Motion. It is fitted with a 105 hp engine and has a consumption of just 5.2 litres and that includes numerous weight-adding extras such as air conditioning, airbags, ABS (Anti-locking brakes) and ESP (electronic stability programme).

Here are some of the eco-cars listed in alphabetical order:

Audi's A4 TDI e, which stands for eco, is fitted with start-stop technology, special transmission and an aerodynamic package. The 'e' comes at an extra price of 350 euros when compared to the standard TDI but saves only 0.2 litres of fuel.

BMW has its fuel-saving vehicles running under the EfficientDynamics nameplate. The 320d is listed with a consumption of 4.1 litres per 100 kilometres, a saving of 0.6 litres compared to the standard model. The carbon dioxide emission figure is just 109 grammes per kilometre.

Ford's ECOnetic Fiesta does away with fancy start-stop and brake regeneration and comes instead with a lower-chassis, improved engine configuration and special tyres that give the 1.6 TDCi a consumption of only 3.7 litres and that with a 90 hp engine. The Mondeo ECOnetic is listed with a consumption of 5.2 litres of diesel.

Opel's Insignia 2.0 CDTI Ecoflex is listed at 5.2 litres per 100 kilometres with a carbon dioxide emission figure of 136 grammes per kilometre. The lower consumption is achieved primarily with the six- gear transmission but the consumption is significantly higher than its main competitor in the field, the VW Passat TDI Blue Motion with a consumption of 4.4 litres.

Mercedes Benz has a BlueEfficiency programme in most model segments. The C200 CDI with an output of 136 hp is listed with a consumption of just five litres. But the car comes at a price of 33,707 euros on the German market or 45,143 dollars and doesn't beat the BMW of the same size on fuel efficiency.

Volvo's flagship S80 eco variant is labelled 'Drive.' The 1.5 ton vehicle has a consumption of 4.5 litres of diesel with an emission figure of 199 g/km.

In summary many of the car makers offer only selected eco-versions in the various model segments and they come at a heavy extra price. But the industry is under pressure to reduce consumption still further. By the year 2015 all new vehicles registered in the European Union are required to have an emission figure of under 120 g/km with the figure further reduced to 95 g/km by the year 2020.