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  1. Five winners in new car tax bands
  2. MINI Cooper D, Every little helps
  3. Renault Laguna 1.5dCi, 25% saving on VED
  4. BMW 320d Coupe, Style with a conscience
  5. Ford Focus C-Max, Space, fun and frugality
  6. Mini Hummer, Look very closely

Renault Laguna 1.5dCi, 25% saving on VED

Renault's 1.5dCi Laguna is one of the few family cars to get a significant VED cut in 2010 - a full 25 percent, from £120 this year down to £90. With 130g/km of CO2, the Laguna jumps from band C to new band D, but the lower charge exemplifies how the Government has re-aligned the bands to benefit greener cars, usually small diesels.

The Laguna is an accomplished mainstream family car, and the 1.5-litre diesel unit is flexible and refined. It can, however, feel underpowered at higher revs, but that's often the price to pay for being green and economical. And it's certainly that, with fuel economy of over 55mpg combined; that's highly impressive for a big, practical family car.

However, the Laguna is trumped by the BMW 318d, which betters its CO2 rating and fuel economy, and also makes a £30 VED saving in 2010. It's pricier than the Renault, though, and the German maker is already well represented in this list...

Mark Nichol