More cars to beat charge

Government plans to shift its focus from vehicles running on alternative fuels to those producing low emissions could mean a lot more cars would be able to dodge city congestion charges.

As early as 2008, models churning out less than 120g/km of CO2 would get a free pass through London's congestion zones, which are being studied for wider use in other major towns and cities in the UK.

If Transport for London's proposals get the go-ahead, low-emission vehicles (such as those in the table above) would have the same privileges as gas and electric cars and hybrids. But it's not only city models that would benefit from the 100 per cent discounts, according to Citroen. A spokesman told us even its C4 family hatch could be exempt: "Everyone thinks only small cars have low emissions. But as the C4's electronic gearbox helps to control shifts more accurately, carbon emissions drop from 125 to 120g/km."