Drivers being deceived by inaccurate data

New research has revealed that new cars are on average 6.3% less fuel efficient under real world driving conditions than their official mpg figures suggest.

What Car? analysed the latest petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and found that although the average is 6.3%, the results varied dramatically between models, with some achieving 25% less than their quoted mpg, while others proved significantly more economical. #

BMW’s 420d M Sport Pro Edition achieved 26.4% lower fuel economy than its WLTP test figure, followed by the Suzuki Swace 1.8 Hybrid at 21.6%.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Ford Ranger 2.0 diesel Thunder, achieved 18.9% better fuel economy than its official figure, and the Honda CR-V Hybrid 2.0 i-MMD performed 12.3% better.

What Car?’s True MPG independent fuel tests are conducted on a rolling road, under strictly controlled laboratory conditions to simulate real world driving styles and are repeatable within one percentage.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “From SUVs to small hatchbacks, our True MPG test results show there are still significant differences between the claimed and actual fuel economy figures of many models. So it’s important for buyers to do their research before they buy.”