Lexus has had its knuckles rapped by advertising watchdogs over its emission claims for its hybrid RX400h.

The manufacturer ran a magazine ad headlined “High performance, low emissions, zero guilt”, which the Advertising Standards Authority ruled misleading.

It conceded that RX400h’s emissions are low compared to rivals in its class, but considered the statement “zero guilt” implied the vehicle caused little or no harm to the environment, “which was not the case”, said the ASA.