It’s typical; you wait 12 years for a car to hit a three figure mpg in the annual MPG Marathon and two come along at once.
Twenty of the most fuel efficient cars available took part in Fleet World’s MPG Marathon, completing a 370-mile route of tough, real-world driving in challenging weather conditions over two days.
This year it was the 1.6-litre Ford Fiesta ECOnetic which came out on top, clocking 108.78mpg, navigated by former rally stars Andy Dawson and Andrew Marriott.
A Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi eco also achieved triple figures, clocking 102.21mpg.
Both diesels bent the rules somewhat by straying off the designated course at points.
However, organisers let them off claiming that the integrity of the event was maintained, thanks to satellite tracking technology allowing them to see exactly where the vehicles were at all times.
Previous attempts have come agonisingly close to hitting triple figures with a smart fortwo recording 99.24mpg last year [link].
A Peugeot 208 1.4-litre diesel [right] recorded the third strongest fuel economy, smashing its official combined fuel consumption figure of 74.3mpg with 93.4mpg.
Feather feet
“This year’s MPG Marathon will be remembered for the two teams who beat the elusive 100mpg barrier – both superb performances,” said event organiser Ross Durkin.
“But the real value of the MPG Marathon is that it highlights the fuel – and hence emissions – savings that can be achieved by any driver of any vehicle.”
A total of 27 vehicles participated, reporting consumption improvements of 16% on average.
The most significant improvement came from the Citroen C1 1.0 VTR which achieved 84.7mpg, 28.92% better than its 65.7mpg combined figure.
Just two of the 20 cars competing in the event failed to beat the manufacturer’s official combined MPG figure. Tsk, lead footed oafs!
Transport Minister Norman Baker MP will be the guest of honour at the 2012 MPG Marathon trophy presentation lunch, presenting prizes to the winners at a special event at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall on October 10.
John has been writing about cars since the start of 2011, with a particular fondness for models with USB connectivity and a serious distaste for steering wheels with too many buttons. Can often be found trying to seduce 1.0-litre engines. When away from things that go brum, apostrophe snob John can often be found making noise with varying degrees of musicality.
Ken Dickson
Well done, but now we need those driving tips passed down so that we can integrate them into our driving techniques where safe to do so.
My Focus C-max has achieved 60mpg over lots of tankfuls over the last 3 years I have had it, but drops to 50-55mpg for no apparent reason - is it the air temperature, is it the fuel, is it more traffic, more hills, the amount of wind?
It would be nice to review my driving techniques against the experts and learn something new!
October 09, 2012