Looking for a new car but concerned (and rightfully so) about gas prices, the environment and, let’s be honest, not being too much of an embarrassment when you pull up to your kids’ school to pick them up in a ride that’s more practical then cool? No need to worry. Take these smart and sexy eco-conscious cars for a spin and show off your knack for practicality and personality.

A First-Class Experience
What could possibly elevate the Mercedes S Class to a more distinguished level? Combining a V-6 gasoline engine with an electric motor to deliver a hybrid machine powered by 295 horses. Spacious, yet sleek, the 2011 S400 hybrid sedan not only drives smart and clean, it functions brilliantly. The communication system offers full control of audio, navigation, and hands-free calling—even screening out ramblings of “ah” and “um.” Coupled with Zagat Survey, its navigation system provides directions as well as ratings for restaurants, hotels, and golf courses. Responsible luxury for $91,000.

A Family Ride
Toyota’s Prius V, a midsize hybrid electric car, represents versatility, comfort, and flexibility. Positioning itself as the perfect car for young families and upgrading from the third generation, the Prius v is not only one of the most celebrated green vehicles, it has added 50% more room for family and cargo, and has rear seats that both slide and recline. Prius v delivers 42 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, and also boasts 66% fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle. Available this summer. Starting at $23,050.

The Green Champion
Voted Motor Trend magazine’s 2011 Car of the Year and the 2011 Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal, the Chevrolet Volt is an electric car that easily transitions to gas when needed. Its 16-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery backed by a 100,000-mile/eight-year warranty can be fully charged in 10 hours using a 120-volt line, or in four hours using a line of 240 volts. The Volt reaches a maximum of 100 mph with little noise. Its technology drives not only fuel efficiency but also many of the Volt’s features, such as Automatic Crash Response, which is included in the five-year subscription to On-Star, which notifies authorities and provides critical crash details. The price after tax-savings of $7,500 is $32,780.

A Stylish Import
An Italian classic makes its way to the United States and rivals the Mini Cooper, a popular British import. Small and compact with fold-down rear seats, the Fiat 500 is sure to turn heads despite its basic amenities and standard safety features, because of its classic Italian styling. Starting at $15,500, this five-speed manual offers all-around savings for the environment and its owner.

Tech Splendor
The Volkswagen Touareg V6 TDI Clean Diesel Sport provides an intelligent mix of technology for high-level performance, entertainment, comfort, and energy conservation at $60,565. This all-wheel drive SUV offers the first ever supercharged hybrid power train—even at top speed the engine can switch off and coast without using fuel. Running on ultra low sulfur diesel, it can manage more than 700 miles on one full tank. Among its many outstanding features: memory seating, push-button start, full communications and navigational functions, and a safety system that responds to driving conditions as well as accidents.

More for You, Less for the Environment
Hyundai gives you a lot of car at a little price. Its 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is no exception. The Sonata Hybrid boasts that its next-generation lithium polymer battery technology is the most efficient in the market, offering 40 mpg on the highway and pushing 206 horses. Eight-way powered driver’s seat adjustments with special lumbar controls; steering-wheel mounted audio and stereo controls; a navigation system that provides weather, sports, and stock information as well as traffic; and a rearview camera are all part of a package that starts at $25,795.

Jackson at CES for Sleek announcement

Between announcements of new 3D televisions, tablet PCs, and do-it-all smartphones, one of the standout media announcements at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show was a new brand of headphones, called Sleek by 50 Cent.

Sleek was one of a handful of high performance, celebrity headphones introduced last week that took social media and the blogs by storm.

See: Sound Advice: 5 Celebrity Headphone Lines

Sleek will retail at $350 and has Kleer technology, which claims to provide nearly flawless wireless audio that is supposedly superior to Bluetooth audio. The battery life of these professional grade headphones can last 15-20 hours from a single charge using an iPhone cable.

Entertainer/entrepreneur and Black Enterprise cover subject Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, the product’s namesake and a top investor in Sleek Audio, visited CES last week to unveil his newest financial and creative endeavor and to explain why he believes Sleek outperforms the competition.

Sleek by 50 Cent

“I went through a process before I met with Jason and Mark Krywko, sitting with different companies that were developing products and I had to sort through them to figure out who would be able to develop the best product for me to present to the public,” says Jackson. “They presented something that didn’t actually exist in the marketplace.”

Jackson chose Sleek Audio, because of their 30-plus year history making hearing aids and custom fitted, in-ear headphones for athletes. He decided not to create bass heavy headphones because he wanted a product that would have mass appeal. Nevertheless, the headphones are equipped with a bass boost button for listeners who want to amp up the sound.

“50 has been a part of the design process since day one,” says Jason Krywko, chief operating officer of Sleek Audio. “For over eight months he has been in the lab. We have been working nonstop designing. Everything from how he wanted it to sound… to the actual look, and the type of carbon fiber, where the aluminum was, where the plastics were. Everything was completely done by him.”

I spoke with Jackson at CES, and he broke down his business reasons for choosing Sleek Audio. Watch the video below for more of his insights.

In an effort to boost the lagging U.S. auto industry, and fulfill his campaign promise to green up the nation, Obama has pledged to get 1 million hybrid plug-in vehicles on the road by 2015. Seemingly taking heed to the mission, automakers unveiled a number of luxury environmentally friendly vehicles at the New York Auto Show held on April 10-19 at the Jacob Javits Center.

These aren’t your typical Toyota Prius-style, compact coupes. Rather, luxury makers including BMW and Mercedes-Benz are changing the game, adding their signature touch to these revamped vehicles. Take a look.

Lincoln C Concept

Source: Renita Burns, BlackEnterprise.com

Combining the space of the 1961 Lincoln Continental with contemporary sleekness, the C Concept car is the latest environmentally friendly vision from Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury division. The C’s 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine uses “direct-injection” technology for up to 20% better fuel economy and 15% fewer carbon emissions than larger displacement engines, Ford says.

Cadillac Converj Concept

(Source: Renita Burns, BlackEnterprise.com)

Equipped with solar panels on the glass roof, the hybrid-electric Converj showcases GM’s new Voltec electric propulsion technology. The concept car also features emissions-free electric driving. While it doesn’t have the signature Cadillac grill, it does incorporate the iconic shield. The four-passenger vehicle is slated to go into production by the end of 2010.

BMW X6 ActiveHybrid

(Source: Renita Burns, BlackEnterprise.com)

Seeking to make its mark in the eco-friendly car arena, BMW unveiled it’s 2010 model of the X6 ActiveHybrid. The vehicle features a V8 engine with twin-turbo technology. BMW claims the X6 hybrid uses 20% less fuel than a comparable vehicle with an internal combustion engine.

Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)

The ML450 Hybrid is the first full hybrid from Mercedes-Benz. The newest addition to the M-Class can operate on a purely electric or purely combustion engine setting, or a combination of the two. Mercedes says the ML450’s fuel consumption and emissions are up to 60% less than classic eight-cylinder SUVs. It’s slated to hit dealerships at the end of the year.