Most innovative cars

The car industry spends more than any other on research and development, and manufacturers around the world are constantly working to come up with new ideas in a bid to make its cars the safest, cleanest and greenest on the planet. CarBuyer picks out the cars that are leading the charge - including CarBuyer's Car of the Year award winner for Innovation in 2011, the Nissan Leaf.

Nissan Leaf hatchback

£30,990 - £30,990

3.9 /5

Nissan bosses have clearly been taking the brave pills, and we couldn’t fail to be impressed by the new Leaf. While many car makers are still talking up electric power, the Japanese company has just got on with it - and launched the first ever genuinely useable all-electric family hatchback. The future starts here. It doesn’t matter whether you believe electric power is the future or not – because the Leaf is here right now. It is capable of cruising at motorway pace and has a range of 100 miles, so all-electric power really is within reach of new car buyers. Nissan is blazing a trail.

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Honda Accord saloon

£22,125 - £31,920

4.2 /5

Honda's Accord Saloon does without a fancy hybrid engine - and for the time being at least, there's no suggestion of an electric version. However, using a series of video cameras it scans the road ahead for hazards and will apply the brakes if it senses an accident is imminent. If you begin to drift across the white lines, it gently take control of the steering to keep you on the road. Honda's ADAS, or advanced driver assist system, also includes an active cruise control, which monitors the speed of the car ahead and will keep your car travelling at a safe distance behind. The system is fitted as standard on all flagship Honda Accords.

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Peugeot iOn micro car

£26,216 - £26,216

4.1 /5

The Peugeot iOn is the sister car to the Citroen C-ZERO, and both are based on and built in the factory as the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The car started life as the Mitsubishi I, a tall but narrow four-seater supermini with a tiny petrol engine under the boot floor. Mitsubishi has developed a 64bhp electric motor and battery system which replaces the engine and gives a range of 93 miles on a full charge. Peugeot and Citroen's models cost more than the Mitsubishi, but feature different bumpers and an ESP system to boost safety. Running costs are small, but the purchase price is very high.

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Honda Insight hatchback

£19,535 - £22,535

4.2 /5

Honda's second entry on our list is for the fuel sipping Insight. The Japanese firm first used the Insight name on a quirky looking, ultra fuel-efficient two-door coupe made from 1999-2006, but this model, launched in 2009, is a completely different car. It's now a practical five-door hatchback that's charged with bringing hybrid technology to the road at a more affordable price. It's practical and well built, but isn’t as technically advanced as some rivals – and Honda's efforts to cut costs have dented its fuel efficiency.

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Lexus CT hatchback

£23,786 - £30,986

3.7 /5

The Lexus CT200h offers plenty of positives, including ultra-low running costs and a well-appointed cabin but it's also let down in a number of key areas. It seems as though engineers have sacrificed comfort in the pursuit of agile, sporty handling where the car may have been better suited to a more comfortable ride in the first place. When compared with efficient diesel rivals like the BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 you realise that the CT200h doesn't do enough to stand out in this competitive segment.

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Mercedes-Benz E-Class cabriolet

£35,195 - £56,345

4.3 /5

Mercedes-Benz's entry in our list of most innovative new cars comes courtesy of the work they have done on their PREsafe accident protection system. Available on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, PREsafe uses lots of different parts of the car's control systems to watch out for accidents. There is a radar based cruise control system that will bring the car to a halt, and even a night vision camera to help drivers see in the dark!

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Vauxhall Ampera hatchback

£34,995 - £38,995

4.3 /5

The Vauxhall Ampera features a 150bhp electric motor and a small on-board petrol generator that can re-charge the battery whilst on the move. Offering very low emissions plus the ability to cover long distances the Ampera seems to quash all 'range anxiety' issues usually linked with electric cars. The only obvious downside is the rather high price.

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