Greenest Audi saloon ever

Audi has unveiled its greenest saloon yet, the A4 TDI e. And although Audi's UK arm hasn't made the newcomer official yet, details have emerged that confirm the saloon as a premium green phenomenon.

That's because the TDI e achieves 61.4mpg on the combined cycle and spits out just 119g/km of CO₂, which squeezes the executive into VED band B and a mere £35 per year tax bill. It achieves these supermini-like figures with a package of green overhauls combined with a frugal 134bhp diesel engine. It gets low rolling resistance tyres, brake energy recovery, aerodynamic tweaks and a stop-start engine system that cuts power at standstill when the six-speed manual is placed in neutral. However, it also gets a touch of pragmatism thanks to an onboard computer that gives the driver 'green driving tips' to further decrease consumption.

Performance is still fairly brisk, with the TDI e packing a 9.5-second 0-62mph dash. Available as an estate too (which boasts 129g/km of CO₂ and 57.6mpg), the greenest A4 will be available in Europe in early June priced at around £28,000 (at the current exchange rate), though we expect it will cost slightly less than that when it hits our shores to keep it in line with UK prices.

Mark Nichol