More green claims

The ASA cases aren't the only examples of car companies making environmental claims about their vehicles. Flick through any glossy magazine and you're likely to find some kind of green car claim.

"Saving the planet"

BMW has been running a series of ads, highlighting what it says are the environmental attributes of its fleet. One of the ads in the series invites would-be owners to "Take the Guilt Free Test Drive today".

BMW has won praise for the low-emission vehicles it's released on to the market. But there's no getting round the fact that petrol and diesel vehicles produce CO2 (the main greenhouse gas responsible for global warming) as well as other pollutants.

BMW points out it's investing in hydrogen-powered vehicles but these are not commercially available. BMW cars in New Zealand run on fossil fuels. And the fuel efficiency of the fleet varies widely from 5.3 litres/100km to 15.2 litres/100km.

"Environmentally friendly" VW

Ads for Volkswagen four-wheel drives (the Tiguan and Touareg) use the phrases "environmentally friendly" and "kind to the environment".

According to Volkswagen the Tiguan produces CO2 emissions of 199g/km; the best the Touareg manages is 275g/km. Not so kind to the environment then.

"Environmentally respectful" Peugeot

Peugeot claims no detail has been spared to ensure its new 308 is an "environmentally respectful" car. According to the company's ads, the 308 offers "European style that doesn't cost the earth" - though driving one will still contribute between 125g/km to 188g/km in CO2 emissions.

"Exceptional fuel economy"

Mazda promises that its "all-new Mazda6" delivers "exceptional fuel economy and emission performance".

The Mazda6 comes with either a 2- or 2.5-litre engine, so it's not a small car. The company says the new model has better fuel economy and emissions than the older model it's replacing. But company data shows CO2 emissions for the Mazda6 can be between 182g/km to 211g/km - over twice that of the most fuel-efficient cars around. Exceptionally average performance, we think.

"Kinder to the environment"

Advertisements for the Lexus GS series claim the new GS450h hybrid is "kinder to the environment" - compared with what, we're not sure.

Lexus says the hybrid manages CO2 emissions of 186g/km - about the same as the best Mazda6. The GS450h does emit less CO2 emissions than other cars in the GS line (for example, the GS460 produces 258g/km) so may be "less damaging" to the environment than these other models. But we don't think this is the same as being "kinder" to the environment.