Top 100 most fuel-efficient cars - hatchbacks

Want to save fuel and cut down your CO2 emissions? The DTI has just unveiled the “Act On CO2” initiative to encourage car buyers to purchase more fuel efficient motors. Auto Express has conducted its own research to find Britain’s 100 most economical motors.

The tests were conducted on public roads and take into account traffic conditions, weather, types of road and all the other variables that influence your mpg. Ten classes of cars were tested, from city cars to SUVs and family saloons to MPVs.

In the hatchback sector the best performer was the Citroen C4 1.6 HDi which returned 49.6 mpg and has CO2 emissions of 129g/km. As you can see from the table below, the second placed BMW 118d is even cleaner at 123g/km, but failed to translate that into superior economy. Biggest disappointment was the Toyota Prius, which only just squeezed into the top 10, achieving 41.5mpg – 37 per cent under government claims.