New research from Kwik-Fit shows that while it now costs less to buy a vehicle, running and maintenance cost have increased sharply.

According to the research, the cost of purchasing a vehicle has fallen by 26.1 per cent over the past ten years.

However total vehicle running costs increased by 52 per cent between March 1997 and March 2007 and vehicle maintenance costs rose by 64.8 per cent.

Tax and insurance costs increased 50.2 per cent during the period, while fuel went up 48.4 per cent.

With overall inflation during this period rising by 32 per cent, it is now significantly more expensive to keep a car on the road.

As the extension of the London congestion charge zone is extended tomorrow, Honda expect this to push sales of greener hybrid cars in the capital.

Sales already show the percentage of hybrid cars in London rose over 2005-2006 from 1% to 2%.

Honda are predicting that an additional 6,500 hybrid fuel models will be sold in London alone over the next 2 years.

Although many people think of hybrid cars as essentially exotic, Honda has now sold over 185,000 worldwide.

Of its UK sales, a third are purchased from people living in London and the South East of England - and Honda believe that congestion charges on traditional pertrol and diesel cars are the reason for this.

It’s not just consumers who are buying them - the Metropolitan police has already ordered 177 hybrid fuel Honda Civics, and national corporations are ushering them in.

In the meantime, Honda are building a sports car to extend its market reach beyond the traditional saloon style.