It seems as though Honda are mounting a real challenge to Japanese rivals Toyota in the Hybrid market as their new Insight vehicle has returned impressive sales figures in its home country since launching in February.

Last week the Insight became the first hybrid at the top of Japan’s best sellers list. The Japan Automobile Dealers Association ranked the Insight at the top of the tree after Honda sold 10,481 units in the month of April alone, becoming the first hybrid vehicle in history to outsell all other conventional models.

The Mini E, an electric powered version of the iconic car, is being trialled in the US by 450 people in New York, New Jersey and California as BMW look for detailed feedback to see how they can get an electric powered car on the market by 2012.

BMW have invested heavily into lowering CO2 emissions in the last few years but they hope that the Mini E will eliminate them altogether if it becomes a viable consumer option.

BMW are targeting the US market in a big way by opening 17 more MINI dealerships across America during the next 18 months.

This is just an example of how dominant the iconic hot hatch has become since its reincarnation by BMW in 2001.

The MINI has since been a big success in the US and the inclusion of these 17 new dealerships will take the total US Mini dealerships to 100.

The popularity of the MINI across the Pond has been even higher than BMW had ever imagined and the German car giants aim to better last year’s sales total of just over 54,000 units even though the US is experiencing economic difficulties.

The new BMW Z4 is receiving favourable reviews and looks set to be incredibly popular, especially if we are in for the ‘Indian summer’ that we have been predicted.

Car Chat started the ball rolling in April as we gave the new Z4 the thumbs up, in fact, we didn’t want to give the car back to BMW but were forced to by our financers!

Since our review, many well respected publications have been impressed with BMW’s latest drop-top, none more so that probably the most respected car journalist of them all, Jeremy Clarkson.

Lexus have reason to cheer following the RX450h winning the What Car? Best Green SUV Award.

Now many people will find it ironic than any SUV, or Chelsea Tractor as they are known, can be deemed as ‘green’, especially for a vehicle that can reach 0-62 miles per hour in just 7.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 124mph.

But, with staggeringly low CO2 emissions of just 148g/km, Lexus really have pulled out the engineering stops, and with impressive economy returns also of 45 miles per gallon.

What Car? Magazine have named the BMW 318d ES as the Best Green Executive Car in their 2009 Green Car Awards.

With combined fuel economy of an impressive 60.1 miles per gallon and CO2 emissions of just 123g/km the BMW 318d ES is the most efficient and eco friendly 3 series ever made by the Bavarian Motor Works company.

Since 2007 BMW’s eco friendly EfficientDynamics have been used to great effect with the BMW 118d receiving the Green Car of the Year award in 2008 and now the BMW 318d ES receiving its green accolade this year.

The car sales industry has obviously been affected by the economic downturn and dealerships have had to introduce more discounts than normal in an attempt to boost sales, whilst the Government have introduced the scrappage scheme whereby a car that is 10 years old or more can be scrapped in return for a £2,000 discount off a brand new vehicle.

This has received much criticism from many in the motoring industry but early signs suggest that the scheme could be a relative success. The main criticisms are surrounding the fact that discount is limited to brand new cars as opposed to including year old used cars as well, as they have done in Germany.

Many of the world’s largest car manufacturers have experienced sales slumps since the global economic decline, yet some remain more optimistic than others.

Japanese giants Lexus are currently experiencing their worst sales period in their 20 year history, yet they aim to combat this slump by selling 25,000 new Lexus hybrid vehicles a year in the US alone as they really do believe in their product.

They have it all to do though as due to the rapid decrease in US gasoline prices, demand for hybrid vehicles – powered by an electric motor and a gas or diesel engine – has obviously dipped.

The Government scrappage scheme has received mixed reactions amongst those in the motor trade and taxpayers alike, but car manufacturers such as Honda will be hoping that it kick starts the UK motor industry, and Honda in particular received evidence that it could well do so.

Honda’s new hybrid vehicle, the Insight, flew to the top of the best sellers list in Japan having sold more than 10,000 units in April. The car industry in Japan has been in decline for the past decade – unlike the rest of the world whereby the market has been affected by the global credit crunch and economic downturn.

The MINI Cooper S has been named What Car? 2009 Green Car of the Year in the sports car category.

The iconic hot hatch held onto its crown having received the same award in 2008 thanks to BMW’s EfficientDynamics technology.

In keeping against the need to broadcast through each and every medium about green initiatives, BMW have gone about their eco friendly business almost under the radar.