Vauxhall EcoFlex
New cleaner Astra coming!
The big news at Vauxhall has been the arrival of the eagerly awaited new Astra.
However, the family model has made its grand entrance without a variant carrying the firm’s green ecoFLEX badge. Buyers will have to wait until 2010 for the most eco-friendly Astra, which promises 109g/km from its 1.3 CDTI diesel.
Until then, the Luton-based maker continues with ecoFLEX versions of its Agila, Corsa, Zafira and Insignia. Most of these use a combination of low-rolling-resistance tyres, modified gearing, revised engine management and aerodynamic tweaks to improve their efficiency.
The cleanest ecoFLEX is the Corsa.
It can’t quite match the likes of the SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive, but its 1.3-litre diesel engine still delivers respectable emissions of 105g/km and 70.6mpg fuel economy.
Further up the range, the real highlight is the Insignia ecoFLEX. With an impressively low CO2 output of 136g/km, the model has the beating of its arch-rival, Ford’s Mondeo ECOnetic, while fuel returns of 54.7mpg will help you save at the pumps.
BEST ECO BUY: Insignia Ecoflex
