Lowest-CO2 non-electric cars sold in EU

Background

The latest EU registration data in this findings set points to plug-in hybrids, rather than conventional petrol or diesel cars, as the lowest-CO2 non-electric vehicles on sale. The leading entry is the VOLKSWAGEN VW GOLF at 9.3, listed as petrol/electric with 1,169 registrations.

That matters for readers searching for the cars with the lowest CO2 emissions, low CO2 cars in the UK, or a list of cars with low CO2 emissions. The models in this top group run from 9.3 to 14.9. In this dataset, the lowest-CO2 non-electric cars are all hybridized vehicles, mostly petrol/electric and a smaller number of diesel/electric models.

The lowest-CO2 models in the dataset

The table below shows the leading models in the findings.

Make	Model	Fuel type	CO2	Registrations
VOLKSWAGEN VW	GOLF	petrol/electric	9.3	1,169
VOLKSWAGEN	GOLF	petrol/electric	10.2	1,736
CUPRA	CUPRA LEON SP E-HYBRID200	petrol/electric	10.3	1,662
SKODA	KODIAQ	petrol/electric	10.8	2,529
CUPRA	TERRAMAR E-HYBRID	petrol/electric	10.9	1,205
MERCEDES BENZ	GLC 300 DE 4MATIC	diesel/electric	11.2	4,523
VOLKSWAGEN VW	PASSAT	petrol/electric	11.8	4,069
MERCEDES-BENZ	GLC 300 DE 4MATIC	diesel/electric	11.9	10,072
SKODA	SUPERB	petrol/electric	12.3	2,642
MERCEDES-BENZ	GLC 300 E 4MATIC	petrol/electric	12.4	6,028

At the very top, the GOLF appears twice, at 9.3 and 10.2, under slightly different make naming. CUPRA places 2 models near the front: the CUPRA LEON SP E-HYBRID200 at 10.3 and the TERRAMAR E-HYBRID at 10.9. SKODA also appears early with the KODIAQ at 10.8 and the SUPERB at 12.3.

For readers asking for the lowest CO2 petrol cars in the UK or the most efficient used cars, this dataset does not separate new from used and does not isolate the UK. It does, however, show which non-electric models in the EU have the lowest listed CO2 values.

Mercedes dominates the upper ranks

Although the lowest single figure belongs to the VOLKSWAGEN VW GOLF at 9.3, MERCEDES-BENZ and MERCEDES BENZ account for a large share of the top entries.

The findings include these Mercedes models and values:

Make	Model	Fuel type	CO2	Registrations
MERCEDES BENZ	GLC 300 DE 4MATIC	diesel/electric	11.2	4,523
MERCEDES-BENZ	GLC 300 DE 4MATIC	diesel/electric	11.9	10,072
MERCEDES-BENZ	GLC 300 E 4MATIC	petrol/electric	12.4	6,028
MERCEDES BENZ	GLC 400 E 4MATIC	petrol/electric	12.5	1,022
MERCEDES BENZ	GLC 300 E 4MATIC	petrol/electric	12.5	4,466
MERCEDES BENZ	C 300 E	petrol/electric	12.7	1,030
MERCEDES-BENZ	C 300 DE	diesel/electric	12.8	2,176
MERCEDES-BENZ	E 300 E	petrol/electric	14.0	4,145
MERCEDES-BENZ	E 300 DE	diesel/electric	14.3	3,067
MERCEDES-BENZ	C 300 E	petrol/electric	14.9	3,425

This concentration suggests that, within the lowest-CO2 non-electric segment, Mercedes has broad coverage across SUV and passenger-car nameplates. The GLC 300 DE 4MATIC appears with 11.2 and 11.9, while the GLC 300 E 4MATIC appears with 12.4 and 12.5.

What the fuel types show

The top of the ranking is overwhelmingly petrol/electric. Diesel/electric entries are present, but fewer.

Among the diesel/electric models listed are:

• MERCEDES BENZ GLC 300 DE 4MATIC at 11.2
• MERCEDES-BENZ GLC 300 DE 4MATIC at 11.9
• MERCEDES-BENZ C 300 DE at 12.8
• MERCEDES-BENZ E 300 DE at 14.3

The rest of the list is petrol/electric, including the leading GOLF at 9.3, the CUPRA LEON SP E-HYBRID200 at 10.3, the SKODA KODIAQ at 10.8, and the RENAULT RAFALE at 14.7.

For readers asking how efficient cars are, this findings set only provides CO2 values and registration counts. It does not include fuel economy, electric range, or energy consumption.

What this list can and cannot answer

This is a ranking of low-CO2 non-electric cars sold in the EU, based on the values shown in the findings and computed at 2026-06-16. It is useful for identifying the lowest CO2 emission cars in this specific dataset.

It cannot answer which countries have the lowest CO2 emissions, because no country-level breakdown is included. It also cannot provide a definitive list of used cars with low CO2 emissions, because the findings do not identify used vehicles. The dataset supports direct comparison of the listed model values, from 9.3 through 14.9.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Which car has the lowest CO2 figure in this dataset? A: The VOLKSWAGEN VW GOLF is the lowest entry at 9.3, listed as petrol/electric with 1,169 registrations.

Q: Are there cars here with low CO2 emissions? A: Yes. The listed values run from 9.3 to 14.9, led by the VOLKSWAGEN VW GOLF at 9.3 and the VOLKSWAGEN GOLF at 10.2.

Q: What are the most efficient cars in this list? A: By CO2 figure, the leading entries are the VOLKSWAGEN VW GOLF at 9.3, the VOLKSWAGEN GOLF at 10.2, and the CUPRA CUPRA LEON SP E-HYBRID200 at 10.3.

Q: Are the lowest-CO2 cars mainly petrol or diesel? A: The list is mainly petrol/electric. Diesel/electric models shown include the GLC 300 DE 4MATIC at 11.2 and 11.9, the C 300 DE at 12.8, and the E 300 DE at 14.3.

Q: Does this dataset show low CO2 cars in the UK specifically? A: No. The findings describe cars sold in the EU and were computed at 2026-06-16. No UK-only breakdown is included.

Q: Does the dataset identify used cars with low CO2 emissions? A: No. The findings list models, fuel types, registrations, and CO2 values, but do not label vehicles as used or new.