Subaru gains recognition as one of only five brands that exceed the claimed fuel consumption figures.

• Independent test names Subaru as one of only five brands to beat official CO₂ ratings in real world driving
• German magazine Auto Motor und Sport tested 600 production models from all major car manufacturers over two years
• Subaru ranked second best among all brands for honest fuel economy claims

Amid the recent controversy surrounding manufacturer claims on official mpg figures,   Subaru has been named one of the top car manufacturers for ‘real world’ fuel efficiency following independent testing. The tests were carried out to establish how efficient cars are under normal driving compared to their official fuel consumption figures.

The programme, which took place over two years and saw around 600 cars independently tested, was conducted by German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport. The magazine sought to establish how models from all major car manufacturers performed against their official fuel economy and emissions ratings, established under lab conditions as part of the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC) fuel efficiency tests that every new car must undergo.

Subaru ranked second place in the test, and was one of only five manufacturers to beat its official NEDC CO₂emissions rating, with testers recording a 6% average improvement over the official emissions ratings for cars across the Subaru range.

The majority of other car manufacturers fell short of their official fuel economy figures, with shortfalls of up to 14.4% in some instances.

The tests were conducted by Auto Motor und Sport on a set 171-mile (275km) test course, which incorporated country roads, motorways and congested city traffic.