LEUVEN, BELGIUM – Choosing a new car and comparing its environmental impact with other models can be a challenge for car buyers, but with the right steps and metrics, you can make more informed, sustainable decisions. Green NCAP simplifies the process, as it announces the ‘greenest’ cars tested since launching its new sustainability ratings and driver experience assessment last September.

Five models topped their respective categories in 2025. They are the Dacia Spring, FIAT 600e, CUPRA Born, BYD SEALION 7, and SEAT Ibiza, which respectively cover small electric city cars, electric family models, both small and large electric SUVs, and petrol-powered hatchbacks.

In addition, Green NCAP commends three cars that stand out for their performance in its unique, user-focused evaluation designed to reflect the everyday concerns that drivers have, especially in relation to electric cars. These are: Consumption & Range, Cold Winter Performance, and Charging Capability.

Making less go further: Green NCAP’s Sustainability Rating winners

Before the rollout of Green NCAP’s new protocols, understanding a car’s environmental impact wasn’t always easy for car buyers, as public information could be complex, sometimes conflicting, or not available at all. In September, Green NCAP introduced a new assessment method that subjected new vehicles to robust scrutiny of their environmental footprint, and it is a free-to-use resource.

There are two main elements to Green NCAP’s testing a car: its Sustainability Rating, the energy consumed and emissions produced during the vehicle’s use; and the so-called ‘cradle-to-grave’ Life Cycle Assessment, which considers everything from raw materials, manufacturing, and distribution to the mix of energy supply and end-of-life recycling. The resulting Sustainability Rating gives each car a star rating out of five and an average overall score.

In addition to the Sustainability Rating, Green NCAP also provides an overview of how well each car performs in day-to-day operations. The Driving Experience assesses Consumption & Range, Cold Winter Performance, and Charging Capability. It is designed to help drivers find cars that better fit their daily needs while also showing how manufacturers often have to balance trade-offs between range, comfort, and performance ꟷ factors that can affect a car’s overall efficiency. Since the recent introduction, 20 new models have been tested against the latest protocols. The highest rated cars tested are:

BYD SEALION 7: Large SUV (Electric)

4 stars / 73%

For a large SUV with an 82.6-kWh battery, the electric BYD SEALION 7 earns a commendable Sustainability Rating, with a significantly lower environmental impact than a comparable combustion-powered SUV. The Chinese-made model delivers solid EV performance and impresses with efficient operation in the -7°C cold winter tests. Effective cabin pre-warming and heat retention help mitigate winter efficiency losses, though home charging efficiency can be improved further.

CUPRA Born: Small Family Car (electric)

4 ½ stars / 86%

CUPRA, part of the Volkswagen Group, pitches the Born (60 kWh) as a sporty alternative to rivals such as the VW ID.3 and Renault Megane E-Tech. The consumption values are as expected for an efficient modern electric vehicle of this type. Heating the cabin quickly in cold winter conditions increases the electricity demand considerably, but once the desired comfort level is reached, the consumption figures drop significantly. The CUPRA earns points also for its creditable efficiency in the challenging highway test.

Dacia Spring: City & Supermini | Full Electric Car

5 stars / 100%

The Dacia Spring supermini may be small and limited in its driving range by a battery of just 27.6 kWh, but it benefits from all that entails during its manufacturing and end-of-life recycling.
It is also energy-efficient, which helps it achieve a five-star Sustainability Rating.

FIAT 600e: Small SUV (Electric)

5 stars / 96%

The electric FIAT 600e delivers standout sustainability, combining high powertrain efficiency with low mass and a moderate 51-kWh battery size. Its compact nature ensures low tyre and brake emissions, production, and energy-supply impacts. Efficient heating and a lowconsuming drivetrain help maintain strong energy performance even in cold and highway driving.

SEAT Ibiza: Petrol Car

3 ½ stars / 67%

The SEAT Ibiza delivers a surprisingly strong sustainability performance for a conventional petrol car, thanks to its compact size, low weight, and efficient exhaust after-treatment. Crucial for this high achievement is the low and robust consumption values measured in all tests.

Despite the inherent limits of fossil fuel use, it receives an impressive 67 percent Green NCAP score, narrowly missing a four-star rating.

Driving Experience: user-focused testing reflects consumers’ needs

As well as the Category Winners of the Sustainability Rating, when assessing each new model, Green NCAP evaluates daily aspects of the driving experience that may affect users. Of the models tested, Green NCAP would like to highlight some of those vehicles that performed well in these areas.

Consumption and Range:

The FIAT 600e strikes a sensible blend between efficiency and versatility. It offers low real-world mixed consumption values in both warm and cold winter weather (-7°C) – 16.4 and 24.8 kWh, respectively. The accuracy of the consumption figures shown on the display is good. The driving range of 340 km (warm) and 225 km (cold winter) conditions is a good achievement with the right-sized high-voltage battery of 51 kWh, which means the 600e strikes a very good balance between how efficiently it uses energy and the distance it can travel on a single charge.

Cold Winter Performance

The Mercedes-EQ EQE 350+ excels in cold winter performance, thanks to its large 96-kWh battery. This high-comfort luxury sedan delivers a real-world range of 280 km in a -7 °C mixed
driving scenario, where most of the energy is used at the start of the trip to power the heating system. On rural roads and highways, the EQE 350+ can easily cover more than 300 km, even in freezing conditions. Pre-warming the car while it’s plugged in makes a big difference: compared to starting cold, you can add roughly 200 km for city driving or 140 km on mixed routes. The cabin warms up quickly and keeps the heat efficiently, reducing wasted energy.

Charging Capabilities

Kia EV9 (100 kWh) deserves praise for its charging performance. It can recharge from 10% to 80% in just 25 minutes, with an average charging power of 182 kW and a peak of 213 kW. That delivers a potential 100 km to 160 km after 10 minutes of charging, depending on the consumption scenario. Adding to driver convenience, the EV9 lets you preheat the battery before rapid charging either by entering the charger’s location in the navigation system or simply using a manual button. The large SUV is prepared for bidirectional charging – vehicle-to-grid – and offers the ability to charge external devices.

Green NCAP was created to empower car buyers with reliable, independent information on vehicle sustainability. Our objective has always been to make it easier for both private drivers and fleet operators to choose cleaner, smarter mobility solutions, based on verified test performance rather than laboratory claims alone. By introducing Green NCAP Category Winners every year since 2023, we provide a clearer and more accessible way for users to identify the most sustainable vehicles within each major vehicle and powertrain category. This helps consumers focus quickly on models that combine low environmental impact with strong overall performance.

To further support informed decision-making, Green NCAP has also expanded its assessment to include Driving Experience. By evaluating aspects such as driving range, charging time, and winter performance, the programme now reflects how vehicles perform in everyday use. This additional layer ensures that sustainability choices are not only environmentally sound but also practical and relevant to real-life mobility needs.
— Dr. Aleksandar Damyanov, Technical Manager Green NCAP

Editor’s note

For full results, visit www.greenncap.com or Green NCAP’s newsroom for journalists.
For media information, please contact Cordelia Wilson at media@greenncap.com