The move guarantees...

The move guarantees buyers that a vehicle is environmentally friendly all through its life - at the time of manufacture, driving and finally recycling.

To qualify for this status, a car must be built at a factory which meets the industry"s latest eco standards. At least five per cent of the plastics in the construction will have been recycled, while eco2 models will not emit more than 140g/km of CO2. The vehicle will be 95 per cent reusable when it"s scrapped.

Renault is aiming to have an eco2 variant in each of its model ranges - and the first are already on sale. The special-edition Clio by Rip Curl is equipped with a 100bhp TCE engine, which will also appear in the Modus and Twingo from September. The 86bhp and 106bhp dCi diesels in the Mégane and Scenic qualify, too, while eco2 versions of the Laguna and Espace are due before the end of the year.