Suzuki Diesel

Although there’s no dedicated eco brand in the Suzuki range, the maker’s line-up of small cars guarantees strong efficiency.

The little Alto city car is a great example, with its lightweight construction and small-capacity engine. As with its Nissan Pixo sister model, this Indian-built hatch delivers CO2 emissions of 103g/km and claims combined fuel economy of 64.2mpg.

Step up to the entry 1.0-litre version of the firm’s Splash, and output rises to 119g/km – not bad given the extra space on offer – while the more powerful 1.3-litre DDiS diesel pushes out 120g/km.

With this same 1.3-litre oil-burner, the stylish Swift supermini is at its most eco-friendly – and this is our pick of the Suzuki range. Emissions of 119g/km CO2 mean £35-a-year road tax, while combined economy of 62.8mpg also impresses.

If you want a relatively green SUV, then the 1.6-litre DDiS SX4 crossover is a good choice. A figure of 139g/km is excellent –especially compared to the larger Grand Vitara diesel, which puts out 185g/km.

At the recent Tokyo Motor Show, Suzuki revealed a plug-in hybrid Swift, which mates lithium batteries to a 660cc petrol engine. There was also a hydrogen SX4 – it’s on trial in Japan, and could hit the road in the next 12 months.

BEST ECO BUY: Swift 1.3 DDiS