Ford vans excelled at 2013 MPG marathon

Fleet World has released the results of the 2013 ALD Automotive / Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon which took place on October 9th and 10th near Sheffield. This year’s event, now in its thirteenth year, had 46 competitors all aiming to demonstrate eco-driving skills and achieve the best outright MPG by improving on the official fuel consumption figures issued for their vehicle.

For those not familiar with the event, “the MPG Marathon, organised by Fleet World, is the UK’s longest-running and best-known economy driving event. Featuring a wide range of cars and vans, the MPG Marathon is a demonstration of how both the vehicle itself, and the person behind the wheel, can make a massive difference to an organisation’s fuel costs and carbon emissions.”

The big winner of the “percentage improvement” award for cars went to the Peugeot 208 GTi, driven by John Kendall and Paul Nieuwenhuis. These veteran marathon drivers managed to clock up 59.39mpg, which was a respectable 23.99% increase over the published figure of 47.9mpg

According to Fleet World, the commercial vehicle test proved to van manufacturers that there was a lot to gain from the results of the marathon, as Ford’s Fiesta Sport Van covered 362.9 miles on just 3.33 gallons of Shell FuelSave diesel. The van – driven by BBC transport correspondent Paul Clifton and his son Doug – notched up an incredible 108.82mpg, trouncing the Fiesta Van’s combined figure of 78.5mpg by 38.62%, to underline the potential cost savings to businesses. Plus there were even more fantastic results for Ford, as a Ford Transit Custom ECOnetic also won the Class 9 section by achieving 53.8mpg over the course, giving the van a 20% improvement over the official combined fuel consumption figure of 46.3mpg.

In the LCV sector, Ford placed first with the Fiesta Sport van, the Isuzu Eiger double-cab pick-up was runner up with a 36.32% improvement over the official combined figure of 38.2mpg, and the Citroen Berlingo came in third place with an increase of 29.1%.

Event organiser Ross Durkin commented: “The MPG Marathon highlights the fuel – and hence emissions – savings that can be achieved by any driver in any vehicle. And as this year’s winners will testify, you don’t have to be a seasoned, hyper-miling pro to do it.

“The drivers had strict time limits to make sure they kept up with the traffic at all times, and faced some really challenging conditions at times. The motor manufacturers and technology suppliers have done a tremendous job in improving the fuel efficiency of all new cars and vans, but motorists should see their published fuel consumption figures as a target to beat, not the maximum achievable.”

It’s great to see that with a little eco-driving know-how, we can save ourselves quite a bit of money on fuel and in doing so, help the environment too. Don't forget to check out the 10 tips for more efficient driving and eco-driving benefits that can be found on the MPG Marathon website.

To view more surprising MPG results, top tips, and details on the Marathon, you can visit the official 2013 ALD Automotive / Shell FuelSave MPG Marathon by clicking here.