According to the Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide, the smart fortwo cabrio mhd (micro hybrid drive) can lay claim to being Australia’s greenest car. This is on account of the mhd scoring the lowest greenhouse and air pollution emissions of any car currently on sale in Australia. Yes, even better than Toyota’s Prius, albeit by the barest of margins!
Despite the marketing trickey in its name, the smart fortwo mhd uses a conventional internal combustion engine, there’s no electric power hidden away. The smart fortwo mhd achieves its credentials, in part, by utilising start-stop engine technology. When driven in traffic the mhd system switches the engine off when stationary and restarts when the accelerator is next pressed. The mhd was featured on last week’s episode of Fifth Gear in the UK, and a YouTube clip of this segment can be seen after the jump.
The smart fortwo mhd only has a meagre 52kW of power, but with that comes impressive fuel consumption. Its combined cycle is 4.4l/100km (according to ADR 81/02) and carbon dioxide (CO2) output of the two-seater is a low 105g/km. Comparatively the Toyota Prius rates the same for fuel consumption, but a solitary extra gram for CO2 emissions at 106g/km.
However, the bar for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is set to be lowered even further when the MINI Cooper D goes on sale in Australia in the second half of this year.
Horst von Sanden, managing director of Mercedes-Benz Cars in Australia was delighted with the news and said, “The goal of sustainable mobility lies at the heart of the smart concept, and it’s this very car, along with new developments such as the electric smart ed, that have made some of the biggest steps towards the ultimate goal of emission-free motoring.”
It’s official: The smart fortwo mhd is Australia’s Greenest Car
Melbourne – It’s official. The smart fortwo micro hybrid drive (mhd) is Australia’s greenest car.
According to the Australian Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide, the smart fortwo cabrio mhd (micro hybrid drive) is rated as having the lowest greenhouse and air pollution emissions in Australia.
The iconic two-seater earned a total score of 17 out of a possible 20 points for both its air pollution and greenhouse ratings. It was awarded a full five stars and the coveted first position in this important consumer guide, outperforming a variety of hybrid-powered models and a number of the smallest cars from Australia’s ‘Light’ vehicle category.
A delighted Horst von Sanden, managing director of Mercedes-Benz Cars in Australia, said the result was another confirmation of the little fortwo’s strong environmental credentials.
“For a consumer searching for the most environmentally sound car in Australia, there is no better choice than the smart fortwo mhd,†said von Sanden.
“With our smallest car at the top of the government’s Green Vehicle Guide we have another important tool to highlight to car buyers how environmentally compatible the smart fortwo really is.
“The goal of sustainable mobility lies at the heart of the smart concept, and it’s this very car, along with new developments such as the electric smart ed, that have made some of the biggest steps towards the ultimate goal of emission-free motoring,†said von Sanden.
Released in Australia last December, the 52 kW smart fortwo micro hybrid drive boasts a combined cycle fuel consumption rate of only 4.4-litres per 100km (according to ADR 81/02), and an impressively low extra-urban consumption rate of only 3.9l/100km. The carbon dioxide (CO2) output of the two-seater is also very low – only 105 grams per km driven.
The innovative smart mhd uses simple but very effective start-stop technology when driven in traffic, switching the engine off when stationary and seamlessly restarting when the driver goes to move off again.
The Green Vehicle Guide provides information about the environmental performance of new light vehicles sold in Australia, and is intended to assist consumers choose a cleaner car.
The vehicle ratings displayed in the Green Vehicle Guide are based on the results of testing conducted in accordance with the Australian Design Rules for emissions and fuel consumption labelling in Australia. Testing is conducted on all light vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes made available locally.
Vehicles tested are given an overall star rating, which is comprised of two scores: one assessing air pollution, which includes exhaust emission contents such as criteria pollutants and air toxics, and one assessing CO2 emissions, known as a greenhouse rating. Both ratings are out of a score of ten, and the combined out-of-20 score determines each car’s overall star rating. A combined score of 16 or greater returns a five-star rating.
The benefits of a five-star rating are numerous for consumers, and are not solely confined to the environment. For example, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) offers stamp duty exemption for cars awarded five stars under the federal government’s Green Vehicle Guide.
More information about the Green Vehicle Guide can be found by visiting www.greenvehicleguide.gov.au