Influential British motoring consumer magazine What Car? has compiled a list of the most economical SUVs in its rigorous ‘True MPG’ Road Tests, and the most fuel efficient SUV which it has tested has been the Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC diesel, returning 5.0l/100km (56.5mpg ).
This is the second win for Honda in the tests, with the Honda Civic recently being named the most economical car tested by the magazine last year overall.
The unique fuel economy tests conducted by What Car? are unlike the official government figures in that they are generated from real-world driving. Official fuel consumption figures are generated in laboratories which do not consider the impact of traffic, weather, and other real-world factors which can influence fuel consumption.
Where the What Car? tests differ is that they employ similar scientific techniques for measuring economy, but do so on the open road and in real, everyday driving conditions.
The What Car? test begins with an urban route at speeds below 25km/h, before continuing to an extra-urban route, including dual-carriageway and motorway driving, and concluding with a final urban route. At the end of the test, the average fuel consumption on the test route is calculated from the measured CO2 emissions.
However, the volume of traffic inevitably varies, so this economy figure is just a starting point. Sensors attached to the car’s electronic systems record the road speed, exhaust manifold pressure and throttle position throughout the test, while other equipment measures the altitude, humidity and air pressure at each given moment. These variables are factored in before calculating a car’s true fuel economy.
Under the What Car? tests, the CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC returned the highest real-world economy figure of any SUV tested, with a winning result of 5.0l/100km, the equivalent of 56.5mpg.
Emmet Kavanagh, marketing manager at Universal Honda, told the Advertiser: "We’re delighted that CR-V has become the latest Honda model to top the What Car? economy tests as they confirm our new 1.6 i-DTEC diesel engine is a real-world leader in fuel economy.
“To have topped such a stringent test from such an influential publication is a very important accolade for us. While the CR-V already leads the class on official figures, it’s the results from real-world driving where the CR-V is a true winner."
The Honda CR-V 1.6 i-DTEC offers a class-leading combination of fuel economy and performance – offering a powerful 120PS, while emitting only 119g/km of CO2 for annual road tax from €200. The engine is the first to be launched in Europe under Honda’s flagship 'Earth Dreams Technology' environmental programme, offering customers what it describes as an outstanding balance of high fuel economy, low emissions and dynamic performance.
The Honda CR-V range starts from €31,995.
