Jaguar E-Pace and Land Rover models score top rating in emissions tests

The new diesel engines in Jaguar and Land Rover cars are some of the cleanest models for NOx emissions on sale in Europe, the AIR Index has found.

The car maker has become the first manufacturer to submit new vehicles for the independent on-road emissions testing initiative, which uses a colour-coded A to E rating to show the difference between clean and dirty vehicles.

Every car rated on the AIR Index is based on at least two independently sourced cars, over three separate tests, including at least five, 10km trips conducted on paved roads, using on-board Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) testing equipment.

All of the vehicles achieved an A rating in the tests, the cleanest possible rating.

Rawdon Glover, Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director, said: “We have been vocal about the benefits of diesel technology in recent years and I am delighted to see simple, clear and accurate consumer information about urban vehicle emissions published and available with the AIR Index.

“The performance of our vehicles on the AIR Index reflects Jaguar Land Rover’s investment in class-leading technology and its hard-working, talented engineers.

“There are some stand-out results here with the superb performance of our new Jaguar SUVs worthy of specific praise, disproving the notion that all diesel SUVs are ‘dirty’.

“These tests clarify that not all diesels are equal, and not even all Euro 6-approved diesels are equal. As the tests have shown, a diesel SUV can be extremely clean.

“The modern diesel engine certainly has a place in the current automotive landscape, and I’m confident that the AIR Index will provide the trusted, independent information essential to inform car buyers as they consider their next vehicle.”

Here is a model-by-model breakdown of Jaguar Land Rover’s AIR Index ratings:

Massimo Fedeli, co-founder and operations director at AIR, said: “The AIR Index provides easy to understand, at-a-glance information on actual vehicle emissions, from independent testing to help consumers compare vehicles when making buying decisions.

“Jaguar Land Rover asked us to put a range of their new diesel cars to the test, and the evidence shows that their latest engines are extremely clean, with all of the four models tested achieving the AIR Index A rating, which means that they produce the lowest levels of NOx emissions in urban driving.

“One of the key things to observe from this set of AIR Index ratings is that perceptions of the emissions produced by particular vehicle types, such as SUVs, can be very misleading.

“In fact, Jaguar’s E-Pace and Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque are amongst the cleanest cars on sale of any type, not just vehicles within the SUV segment.

“The perfect example is the Land Rover Discovery, which produced NOx emissions 20 times lower than a diesel Renault Clio supermini.

“The AIR Index was created to provide clarity through the publication of trusted, easily accessible and independent information, essential for car buyers and policy makers to use when making important vehicle choices that can rapidly improve urban air quality.”