Luxurious and green: Europe's (relatively) low-CO2 luxury sedans
Some drivers love large luxury sedans sedans. What's more, there's nothing that denotes luxury quite like the largest car from a premium brand. They might be impractical in some European cities, but that's for the chauffeur to worry about. For the green-minded baron, though, there are always concerns about high fuel consumption and, well, sometimes you can do the job with a smaller car. However, for those times when we just need to be driven in a big sedan, let's see what the European market has to offer. After the jump we have a list of luxurious sedans ordered by CO2 emissions. And for once, this is a list - despite the inclusion of a few diesels - that includes many players from the American market as well. Click past the jump for the complete list.
Gallery: Detroit 2009: Cadillac Converj
[Source: Auto News]
| Model name | Engine size (cm3) |
Horsepower | Fuel consumption (l/100km) |
Mileage mpg |
CO2 (g/km) emissions |
| Bentley Arnage R | 6,761 | 456 | 19.5 | 12.1 | 465 |
| Bentley Continental Flying Spur | 5,998 | 560 | 16.6 | 14.2 | 396 |
| Bentley Continental Flying Spur | 5,998 | 560 | 16.6 | 14.2 | 396 |
| Maybach 57 | 5,513 | 550 | 15.9 | 14.8 | 383 |
| Rolls-Royce Phantom | 6,749 | 460 | 15.7 | 15.0 | 377 |
| Maserati Quattroporte 4.2 V8 Automatic | 4.244 | 400 | 14.7 | 16.0 | 345 |
| Cadillac STS 3.6 V6 | 3,564 | 257 | 12.2 | 19.3 | 285 |
| Honda Legend 3.7 V6 Automatic | 3,665 | 295 | 11.6 | 20.3 | 269 |
| VW Phaeton V6 TDI 4Motion Tiptronic* | 2,967 | 240 | 9.1 | 25.8 | 240 |
| Lexus LS 600h (Hybrid) | 4,969 | 445 | 9.3 | 25.3 | 219 |
| Chrysler 300C 3.0 CRD* | 2.987 | 218 | 8.1 | 29.0 | 215 |
| Jaguar XJ6 2.7D V6* | 2.720 | 207 | 8.1 | 29.0 | 214 |
| Mercedes S 320 CDI BlueEfficiency 7G-Tronic* | 2.987 | 235 | 7.6 | 30.9 | 199 |
| Audi A8 2.8 FSI multitronic | 2.773 | 210 | 8.3 | 28.3 | 199 |
| BMW 730d* | 2.993 | 245 | 7.2 | 32.7 | 192 |
* Denotes a diesel car
Here's a picture of the winner
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Carney 4:10PM (2/24/2009)
It's not how much CO2 you emit, but whether it's
A) "green" CO2 that's from the current biosphere and already part of the carbon cycle (thus global warming neutral) or instead
B) "bad" CO2 that was not part of the carbon cycle, sequestered deep underground forever in human terms, drilled up, and burned into the atmosphere, adding new, extra, additional CO2 that would not otherwise have been there.
All petroleum products, including gasoline AND PETRO DIESEL, are in group A, bad CO2. They inherently and necessarily result in a net increase in atmospheric CO2.
By contrast, ethanol and biomass derived methanol are from group B, good CO2. They do not inherently or necessarily add to atmospheric CO2.
Now it's true that alcohols CAN be procesed and made in such as way as to require SOME petroleum expenditure, such as on fertilizer and petroleum-burning transportation. The latter can eventually be changed to alcohol, and in any case, a comprehensive Science magazine study in January 2006 that reviewed all prior literature showed that switching to alcohol results in:
A NINETY PERCENT REDUCTION in net CO2 emissions compared to petroleum based fuel.
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Noz 4:17PM (2/24/2009)
It's not just the amount to CO2 or if it's carbon neutral. It's also the rate at which is emitted.
Rate of change is what causes problems most of the time..not just amount.
GoodCheer 7:02PM (2/24/2009)
Luxury, undoubtedly.
Green, not so much.
Mind you, I wouldn't kick a BMW 730d out of bed for eating crackers... I'd just need to make my driveway about a foot wider.
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jpm 8:39PM (2/24/2009)
that picture fucks with my head -- makes me dizzy. anyone else?
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Quattroporte 8:35AM (2/25/2009)
Who's going to cross shop a dreary diesel barge with a V8 Maserati? Next time, compare apples to apples.
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pgrt 5:19AM (2/26/2009)
that picture of 730d is all wrong and out dated. I think that one is 2008 or 2007 model but the new 7-series(´09) looks much better.
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