LEUVEN, BELGIUM – It’s the question on many drivers’ minds: how eco-friendly is my car? Answering it has never been easy – until now. For the first time, the introduction of Green NCAP’s whole-life assessment of new vehicles means consumers can see and compare the true environmental impact of cars throughout their life and compare their real-world efficiency, range, and charging capability. Green NCAP tested and compared 12 popular cars under this new rating regime to illustrate the vastly different impact they make on the environment.

New, extensive testing by Green NCAP, designed to better reflect the real-world use of today’s cars, assesses the impact of weight, compares efficiency in warm and cold weather, and considers the hidden harmful emissions of tyres and brakes. More significantly, the revised star rating system now completely incorporates Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) data, making it the first vehicle sustainability rating system in the world to assess a car's environmental impact over the course of its lifetime – from ‘cradle to grave’ and allowing a true comparison between all types of powertrains. For drivers of electric vehicles, Green NCAP also includes a complementary, new Driving Experience assessment that includes charging and cabin heating characteristics, among others.

Taking top spot for their overall Sustainability Rating are two models with a history rooted in mindful motoring. The MINI Cooper E and FIAT 600e can be traced back to the post-war era when affordability, frugality, and versatility greatly influenced the cars we drove, and few proved as popular as the 1955 FIAT 600 and 1959 MINI. The pair went on to mobilise millions of people around the world. Generations later, their spiritual successors continue to show that small cars can be perfectly formed.