Time for a more fuel-efficient car?Rising fuel prices getting you down? Think it's time for a change to a more fuel-efficient car? Improvements in engine technology have seen the average fuel consumption of passenger cars decrease from over 10 litres per 100km in 1980 to less than 7 litres per 100km in the case of many of the latest high technology, highly fuel-efficient models, according to cars4women.co.za. Vehicle manufacturers worldwide are committed to providing safer, high-tech, environmentally friendly and highly fuel-efficient new products. In South Africa, the concept of hybrid cars is still a new one and the Toyota Prius is currently the only hybrid car available (although this is about to change). Diesel currently offers the most fuel for your money - the latest generation diesel vehicles, while offering all the refinements and performance of their petrol-engined counterparts, also offer significant fuel economy benefits. According to cars4women.co.za*... Some diesel models with great fuel consumption:VW Polo 1.9 TDi Highline: 4.9 litres per 100km, Fuel-friendly convertiblesMost fuel-efficient convertible - Daihatsu's Copen is our favourite here. This little 1300cc uses only 6.0 litres per 100km. If you're looking for a more powerful topless ride, and can stretch the budget a bit further, the 2.0i BMW Z4 is pretty good, at 7.0 litres per 100km. The Peugeot 207cc 1.6 Sport only uses 6.5 litres per 100km and the Renault Megane cc 1.9 dCi Dynamique + has the best fuel consumption of all - 5.5 litres per 100km! Double Cabs that won't guzzle the gasFor fans of double cabs, Chana has introduced a 1.0 litre double cab, the Chana Star, with a fuel index of 6.4 litres per 100km. In this category, it pays to go diesel; the Nissan Navara 2.5 dCi double cab only uses 8.4 litres per 100km. Petrol-saving hatchbacksPetrol-saving hatchbacks are flooding the market - the Daihatsu Charade 1.0 Classic and Celeb seem to have the best fuel consumption for a petrol hatch; only 4.4 litres per 100km! The Peugeot 107 and Citroën C1 are 3.43m long and believe it or not these compact cars are very spacious inside. Both marques claim fuel consumption at 4.6 litres per 100km - great fuel-savers if you want a compact little car. Toyota's baby Yaris, the 1.0 litre three-door and five-door T1, offer 5.4 litres per 100km, while the Toyota Yaris T3 1.3 five-door will use 6.0 litres to cover the same distance. The Renault Clio 1.2, 16-valve 5-door Va-Va-Voom does 5.9 litres per 100km. The 1.3 Madza2 Original (baby sister of the 1.5 model, which was the recent Car of the Year winner) will let you do 100km on 5.4 litres of petrol. If you want a compact car that offers great features at a great price, then the Kia Picanto 1.1 LX is an option. As for fuel consumption, according to Kia the little car's consumption figures in a combination of city and long distance driving is 6,2-litres per 100km in the five-speed manual guise. Ford's Ka 1.3 Ambiente uses 6.5 litres per 100km, and the Mini Cooper 5.8 litres per 100km, great consumption for a 1600cc engine. 1.4 litre favouritesCitroen's 1.4i Furio offers 6.1 litres per 100km, while the diesel version the 1.4 HDi Furio does a phenomenal 4.4 litres per 100km, Good news for sedan fansFans of sedan motor cars will be happy to know that bigger boot space doesn't necessarily mean higher fuel bills. If you refuse to compromise on luxury and space, the Mercedes C220 CDi is powered by a 2.2-litre engine for just 6.1 litres per 100km. Other sedans that are spacious but fuel-efficientKia Rio 1.4: 6.2 litres per 100km, MPVs that scored high in the fuel saving categoryRenault's Scenic 1.6 models offer the best fuel consumption in this category: 7.2 litres per 100km if you stick to comparing petrol engines, while the diesel version does 5.8 litres per 100km. The most fuel-savvy SUVsFiat Panda 1.1 Active: 5.7 litres per 100km, For more information about some of the cars featured here, go to http://www.cars4women.co.za to read our in-depth reviews by some of the country's leading women motoring journalists. *The consumption figures and opinions expressed in this article were supplied by cars4women.co.za. |