What's a low CO2 small family car?

I presently drive a Honda Civic 1.6-litre automatic. Im looking to buy a new similar-sized replacement that emits less CO2, so I can pay 35 a year in tax. What would you recommend?
Ian MacGregor

There are four new small family cars that cost just 35 a year to tax because they all pump out less than 121g/km of CO2.

Greenest is the Toyota Prius hybrid, which uses an electric motor in combination with a 1.5-litre petrol engine to keep emission down to 104g/km. It is quite expensive, though, starting at 17,932.

The Honda Civic Hybrid is slightly cheaper and starts at 17,145 but emits marginally more CO2 at 109g/km.

The Citron C4 1.6 HDI EGS and the Peugeot 308 110 FAP EGC both start at 16,395 and emit 120g/km. They use the same semi-automatic transmission, which can still change gear for you like a traditional automatic 'box but isnt quite as smooth at doing so.

Remember to consider all the costs associated with owning a car, such as the purchase price, depreciation, insurance costs etc and not just the annual car tax bill. You can work these out using What Car?'s real Cost figures.

While these four cars will save you at least 85 a year in VED, it is worth noting that there are cheaper cars to own in the long run.