Until very recently, if you wanted a car that promised very low CO2 of under 100g/km, you were forced to look at either a diesel or a hybrid. Both came with drawbacks for the green-tinged buyer.

Firstly, there was price. Diesel cars are typically more expensive than an equivalent petrol model, and hybrid cars have never been known for their low upfront cost – all those batteries and electric motors come at a price. And then there were nagging concerns. Does a complex hybrid start life with a deep carbon debt? And will a dirty diesel spit out nasty microparticles to harm the lungs of inner-city kiddies?

Emerging electric cars offer one answer, but it’s equally encouraging to see a range of highly efficient petrol engines coming into the frame, offering a different route to low-CO2 motoring.

Today, 11 different brands offer 14 separate petrol-powered cars that aren’t hybrids, but which still duck under 100g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle test. And more options are on the way.

Here’s a quick roundup of the 14 new cars 2012 currently has to offer:

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Alfa Romeo Mito
Model: TwinAir
Stats: 98g/km and 67.3mpg
Engine: 85bhp, 875cc two-cylinder
Gears: 6-speed manual
0-62mph: 12.5 seconds
Price: from £14,150

Chrysler Ypsilon
Model: TwinAir
Stats: 99g/km and 67.3mpg (manual) or 97g/km and 68.9mpg (auto)
Engine: 85bhp, 875cc two-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic
0-62mph: 11.9 seconds
Price: from £13,195 (manual) or £14,395 (auto)

Citroen C1
Model: all manual models
Stats: 99g/km and 65.7mpg
Engine: 67bhp, 998cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 12.3 seconds
Price: from £7,995

Fiat 500/500Cquickest
Model: TwinAir
Stats: 92g/km and 70.6mpg (manual) or 95g/km and 68.9mpg (auto)
Engine: 85bhp, 875cc two-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual or auto
0-62mph: 11 seconds
Price: from £11,660 (manual) £12,410 (auto) or £14,360 (500C convertible)

Fiat Panda
Model: TwinAir
Stats: 99g/km and 67.3mpg (manual) or 95g/km and 68.9mpg (auto)
Engine: 85bhp, 875cc two-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual or 5-speed auto
0-62mph: 11.2 secs (manual) or 11.5 secs (auto)
Price: from £10,750 (manual) or from £11,815 (auto)

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Fiat Puntobiggest
Model: TwinAir
Stats: 98g/km and 67.3mpg
Engine: 85bhp, 875cc two-cylinder
Gears: 6-speed manual
0-62mph: 12.7 seconds
Price: from £12,100 (3-door) or £12,700 (5-door)

Hyundai i10
Model: Blue
Stats: 99g/km and 67.3mpg
Engine: 68bhp, 998cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 14.8 seconds
Price: from £9,345

Kia Picantocheapest
Model: all 1.0-litre manual models
Stats: 99g/km and 67.3mpg
Engine: 68bhp, 998cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 13.9 seconds
Price: from £7,795

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Nissan Micra
Model: DIG-S
Stats: 95g/km and 68.9mpg (Visia trim) or 99g/km and 65.7mpg (Tekna/Acenta trims)
Engine: 98bhp, 1198cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 11.3 seconds
Price: from £11,250

Peugeot 107
Model: all manual models
Stats: 99g/km and 65.7mpg
Engine: 67bhp, 998cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 14.2 seconds
Price: from £7,995

Smart ForTwo
Model: Micro Hybrid Drive (which is not actually a hybrid)
Stats: from 97g/km and 67.3mpg (hatch) to 99g/km and 65.7mpg (cabrio)
Engine: 71bhp, 999cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic
0-62mph: 13.7 seconds
Price: from £9,200 (hatch) or £10,700 (cabrio)

Toyota Aygo
Model: all manual models
Stats: 99g/km and 65.7mpg
Engine: 67bhp, 998cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 14.2 seconds
Price: from £8,535

Toyota iQ
Model: 1.0-litre manual models
Stats: 99g/km and 64.2mpg
Engine: 67bhp, 998cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 14.7 seconds
Price: from £10,815

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Volkswagen Up
Model: BlueMotion Technology
Stats: 96g/km and 68.9mpg
Engine: 59bhp, 999cc three-cylinder
Gears: 5-speed manual
0-62mph: 14.4 seconds
Price: from £9,330