The Mazda2 takes the ALD Automotive Fleet World MPG Marathon title with 91.4mpg, 10% over official figures.

• Mazda2 achieves 91.37mpg over challenging 406 mile course.
• Less than half a tank of fuel used for the challenge.
• Mazda2 prices start at just £12,495 on-the-road (OTR).

The Mazda2 has beaten tough competition to win the ALD Automotive Fleet World MPG Marathon, achieving an average of 91.37 miles per gallon over two days of driving, using less than half a tank over the 406 mile course.

Driven by MPG Marathon regular John Kerswill with Ian McKeen as co-driver, the Mazda2 1.5 diesel completed the distance in 12 hours at an average speed of 33.83mph using just 20.2 litres of fuel.

“This was an exceptionally tough event,” commented John Kerswill. “There were lots of steep climbs, heavy traffic and head winds on the route so genuinely reflective of UK road conditions. To achieve 91.4mpg was really impressive and a tribute to the Mazda2’s outstanding real world fuel economy.”

“One small detail that impressed me is that the car was even more economical than it said it was. At the end of the event the trip computer was showing 90.0mpg, but the accurately calculated figure based on actual fuel used was 91.4mpg.”

With prices starting at £12,495 the Mazda2 1.5 diesel official fuel consumption is 83.1mpg on the combined cycle, at 91.4mpg a 10 per cent improvement was achieved over the official figure.

“This MPG Marathon result, improving on the official mpg figure, is a great demonstration of the Mazda2’s fuel-stretching abilities,” said Peter Allibon, Mazda UK Sales Director. “With a design that offers great kerbside appeal and driving dynamics that make this car great fun to drive, owners can have a car that looks great, handles fantastically and is really affordable to drive.”

Combining Mazda's unique SKYACTIV technology with its striking KODO: Soul of Motion design philosophy, the Mazda2 brought new levels of technological sophistication, driving pleasure and active safety to the highly competitive B-segment when it went on sale in the UK in March 2015.

Offering a choice of eight petrol and two diesel variants, the 10-strong line-up of Mazda's best-selling UK model is priced from £12,495 to £16,095 on-the-road (OTR).

All-new Fiat Professional Fiorino triumphs in MPG Marathon 2016 with a 12.28% increase over official figures.

• All-new Fiat Professional Fiorino triumphs in MPG Marathon 2016
• Model records impressive overall returns of 72.08 mpg
• 12.28 per cent, best improvement over official figure
• Fiorino prices start from £11,315 + VAT

The all-new Fiat Professional Fiorino has underscored its financial appeal to UK fleets and business users with an impressive triumph on its MPG Marathon debut.

The stylish newcomer is the latest version of the original small van which established a new commercial vehicle segment. It topped a fiercely contested field for fuel economy to win the annual economy driving challenge’s van category.

Driven by former fleet manager Doug Powell with co-driver Tony Waddington, the Fiorino excelled for fuel economy, returning an overall 72.08 mpg – nearly 18 mpg more than its nearest competitor and an improvement of 12.28 per cent over the official manufacturer ‘combined mpg’ figure.

“We are absolutely delighted to see the new Fiat Professional Fiorino perform so well in the MPG Marathon and especially to see it lead the pack so convincingly in terms of fuel economy,” says Alejandro Noriega, Country Manager, Fiat Professional.

“Running costs and total cost of ownership have never been more important and so this success will strengthen the Fiorino’s already broad appeal.”

Available in Cargo and Combi body styles, the Fiorino is priced from £11,315, excluding VAT and OTR charges.

Even Caterham produces a fuel efficient car by taking part in the 2015 MPG Marathon,

• Caterham proves the 160 is the most economical two-seater sportscar on the market*
• Seven 160 finishes eco-driving event with an overall MPG of 59.03, a 2.48% improvement on the car’s official MPG
• Pistonheads’ John Mahoney piloted 160 in the 370-mile competition 

British sportscar maker, Caterham Cars, has taken part in the annual MPG Marathon for the first time with its most economical Seven model; the 160.

The UK’s leading lean driving challenge took place between Tuesday 29^th and Wednesday 30^th September, with the 370-mile route starting and finishing at Heythrop Park, Oxfordshire.

This year saw the 15^th edition of the MPG Marathon take place, with production cars and LCVs, competing in a test of eco driving skills. Prizes were awarded on the basis of the percentage improvement obtained in relation to the official MPG for the combined cycle of the car and outright net fuel consumption in MPG.

Caterham competed with its most frugal Seven ever built and, driven by Pistonheads’ John Mahoney, the 160 competed in the class for passenger cars powered by petrol with CO2 emissions of 101g/km – 190g/km. The Seven 160 achieved an overall MPG of 59.03 during the course of the event - a 2.48% improvement on the 160’s official 57.60mpg.

The MPG Marathon saw the iconic Seven, a car which brings unrivalled levels of efficiency, fun and value for money to the sportscar segment, standing out from the crowd as the only two-seater sportscar, participating.

Powered by a super-compact, turbocharged three-cylinder Suzuki engine, the 160 emits just 114g/km CO2. The 160 produces 80hp from its 660cc engine and generates a top speed of 100mph, reaching 0–62mph in only 6.5 seconds. Priced from £15,995 in component form and £18,995 fully built, the Seven 160 can be taxed for just £30 per year and is the most cost-effective two-seater sportscar on the market*.

Caterham Cars’ Chief Commercial Officer, David Ridley, said: “The 160’s impressive performance in this event proves that the Seven really does deliver everything, proving that fuel economy doesn’t have to come at the expense of a fun drive.”

All-new Mazda2 105ps Sport Nav Diesel averages over 100mpg in real-world economy test.

• All-new Mazda2 105ps Sport Nav Diesel averages over 100mpg in real-world economy test.
• Mazda’s new-generation diesel features ultra-low compression ratio and i-stop.
• Leading Mazda recorded 103.42MPG over 400 miles of real-world driving.
• Representing a 24.45 per cent improvement over official combined economy.
• Offered in SE-L, SE-L Nav, Sport and Sport Nav trim levels, the all-new Mazda2 diesel costs from £15,995 on-the-road.

Proving the real-world economy benefits of its award-winning SKYACTIV technology, Mazda has achieved strong results in the recently held MPG Marathon. 

Taking part in the annual economy driving event, which challenges competitors to find and drive the most efficient route between set checkpoints, both the all-new Mazda2 diesels entered finished in the top four, with the leading Mazda supermini recording an average economy of 103.42mpg - an impressive 24.45 per cent better than the official claimed combined economy.

Powered by Mazda’s lightweight 105ps SKYACTIV-D diesel engine, the highest placed all-new Mazda2, driven by journalists John Kerswill and Ian McKean, finished second overall – just 1.08mpg behind the overall winner. Recorded over a distance of 400 miles, the 103.42mpg average is a strong example of how with considered economic driving it’s possible to match or possibly improve manufacturers laboratory recorded fuel consumption figures.

Designed to showcase economy in real-world conditions, MPG Marathon rules stipulate that teams must arrive at checkpoints within pre-determined times to prevent cars being driven unrealistically slowly. 

With checkpoint locations placed to make using the motorway network less beneficial, the mixed road conditions and types used, increase the real-world motoring element of the event.

Equipped with Mazda’s i-stop system, which delivers the world’s fastest restarts on a diesel engine, the all-new 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-D embodies Mazda’s clean-sheet approach to combustion engines. 

The 1,499cc common-rail diesel engine features a lightweight all-alloy construction and an ultra-low 14.8:1 compression ratio – one of the lowest of any current production turbo diesel engine. 

By radically optimising the engine’s compression ratio to achieve superior air-fuel mixture levels and more uniform combustion, the 1.5-litre SKYACTIV-D has a higher expansion ratio for improved economy.

At the same time sophisticated variable geometry for immediate throttle response, coupled to low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation systems and a water-cooled intercooler integrated into the lightweight intake manifold, ensure Mazda’s latest generation 1.5-litre diesel engine impresses with its combination of exceptional economy, refinement and flexibility.

In addition, the all-new Mazda2 benefits from the all-encompassing approach of Mazda’s convention-defying SKYACTIV technology and its focus on weight saving, which achieves maximum economy, not just from engines, but from chassis, body and transmissions. This allows Mazda to boost economy at the same time as enhancing handling and performance.

Podium finishing MPG Marathon driver and journalist John Kerswill, commented “we covered 400 miles in two days, concentrating hard all the time, but the Mazda2 made it easy. It’s comfortable, quiet, handles really well and has an exceptionally smooth and willing engine that shows just how good a modern diesel can be.”  

Adding, “as soon as I drove the Mazda2 I could tell it was capable of exception economy. To get over 100mpg on ordinary roads, while beating the official combined consumption by 24.45 per cent shows this is a car that’s more than capable of doing on the road what others can only do in the lab.”

Full MPG Marathon results can be found at www.thempgmarathon.co.uk and to further highlight the real-world economy benefits of Mazda’s SKYACTIV technology, the all-new Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L Nav recently achieved 41.0mpg in What Car? Magazine’s True MPG testing. With an official combined consumption of 40.9mpg this makes Mazda’s sports car one of only a handful of cars to match or better its official consumption figure

Citroen celebrates two models that have both achieved more MPG than thee official figures, one over 103mpg.

A Citroën C4 Cactus BlueHDi 100 S&S manual car has just returned an outstanding 103.28mpg in the 2015 ALD Automotive Fleet World MPG Marathon – the first Citroën ever to achieve more than 100mpg in this event. In addition, a New Citroën Berlingo L2 750 LX van demonstrated that the BlueHDi 100 Euro 6 engine is supremely fuel-efficient in LCV applications too, with a class-winning 68.64mpg in the same event. 

The Euro 6 compliant C4 Cactus Feel BlueHDi 100 S&S was entered in Class 3 (for diesel-engined cars with CO₂ emissions of 100g/km or less). In this hotly contested class, the BlueHDi 100 powered Cactus driven by John Kendall, Editor of International Fleet World, with co-driver Dr. Paul Nieuwenhuis, performed exceptionally well. 

The resulting 103.28mpg put it third in class with an impressive 24.29% improvement on its official 83.10mpg combined cycle fuel economy figure. It also achieved the third best outright mpg in the event, just 1.22mpg behind the winning BlueHDi 75 powered Peugeot 208. 

Running in the Small Van Class (2001 - 2600kg GVW), a New Berlingo BlueHDi 100 S&S manual L2 750 LX was driven by Neil McIntee, Editor of VansA2Z, with Peter Thompson as co-driver. Neil commented; “Over a very demanding 400 mile route, involving all road conditions, the New Berlingo delivered exceptional fuel economy. 

The 68.64mpg result was 1.98% better than its official combined cycle fuel economy figure of 67.30mpg. It also demonstrated that the new Euro 6 BlueHDi 100 engine has strong mid-range torque characteristics, which aided fuel economy and further improved the driving experience in real-world conditions.”

Also competing in the ALD Automotive Fleet World MPG Marathon 2015, was a C4 Cactus Flair PureTech 110 S&S manual entered in Class 2 (for petrol-engined cars with CO₂ emissions over 100g/km). 

Driven by Steve Moody, Editor of Fleet World, with Fleet World’s Jenna Alsos as co-driver, the petrol-engined Cactus also performed well. This car returned 63.91mpg, an improvement of 6.34% on its official 60.10mpg combined cycle fuel economy figure.

John Kendall said; “Both Steve and I were extremely impressed with the fuel economy of our respective Citroën C4 Cactus cars. As the driver of the Euro 6 BlueHDi 100 Cactus, I was delighted to achieve over 103mpg.”

Bek Hassan, Citroën’s Brand Director in the UK, commented; “With all eyes on new vehicle fuel consumption at the moment, Citroën is delighted with the very strong performance of both its C4 Cactus cars and the New Berlingo van in the demanding ALD Automotive Fleet World MPG Marathon. This independently run trial demonstrates how the latest Citroën models can deliver exceptional fuel economy.”

All of the 2015 MPG Marathon competitors had to visit a number of fixed locations within a certain period of time to reach their final destination on both days of the event. Otherwise, the route taken was the choice of the individual competitors.

At 95, Norman Dewis OBE will officially be driving a Jaguar again at this years MPG Marathon

Norman Dewis, OBE, chief test driver and development engineer for Jaguar Cars from 1952 to 1985, is set to become the oldest ever contestant when he drives in this year’s MPG Marathon – at the tender age of 95!

Dewis, who was born in 1920, will be entering this year’s event, rated as the UK’s most prestigious lean-driving challenge, in a rear wheel drive, 2.0 litre 163hp Jaguar XE alongside Jaguar Heritage communications officer, Tony O’Keeffe.

Over the years, Dewis has played a major role in the development of some of Jaguar’s most iconic models, including the E-Type, XJ6, XJ-S and many more. He was behind the wheel of a Jaguar XK120 in October 1953 when it reached 172.412mph at Jabbeke, Belgium, a record for production cars.

2014 entrants

Awarded the OBE for services to the motor industry in the New Year’s Honours List at the start of the year, Dewis is still attending events related to Jaguar and giving talks about his work for the company.

Astonishingly, his entry follows hard on the heels of the event’s two youngest ever entrants, Eloise Peabody-Rolf and Rory Carmichael, both 17. Both are members of The Under 17 Car Club, a national road safety charity which teaches young people to drive to a high standard before they are allowed out on a public highway, and have been driving since the age of 11.

In this year’s Marathon, which takes place on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th of September, over a two-day 300-mile route across the Oxfordshire/Wiltshire countryside, they will be competing in a Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC with fuel consumption, on the combined cycle, of 78.5mpg and CO₂ emissions of 94g/km.

And they will go head-to-head with their driving instructors, Paul Clifton, the BBC’s transport correspondent for southern England, and former police inspector, Shaun Cronin who was responsible for the roads policing team in Dorset. They will be driving a Honda CR-V with exactly the same engine as their pupils.

Event organiser and Fleet World publishing director, Jerry Ramsdale, commented: “We are delighted Norman Dewis has entered this year’s MPG Marathon as our oldest ever entrant. It will be great to see how such a driving legend, famed for his high speed driving exploits, copes with the demands of driving as frugally and as economically as possible in one today’s most modern cars.

“And his entry, just days after our two youngest-ever entrants, shows the really broad appeal that the event has. It promises to be a fascinating challenge this year.”

The new entrants will certainly face some stiff competition.  Reigning champions, Fergal McGrath and James Warren, have again entered the event where they are likely to go up against the previous year’s winners, Nick Chapman and Rosemary Horner, both employees of Leicestershire County Council.

This year, McGrath and Warren are again in a Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC, the model they won in last year, as they attempt to retain their hard-won title and, in doing so, become only the second pair of drivers to win the event two years in a row.

This year’s MPG Marathon, in its 15^th year, is being sponsored for the first time by Barclaycard Fuel+ in association with TMC, and sets off from the stunning Heythrop Park Hotel and the Heythrop Park Resort near Enstone in Oxfordshire.

Car makers entering include BMW, Caterham, Ford, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Honda, Mazda, Kia and Jaguar, who have confirmed they will be entering their very latest models for the event. 

Other drivers include Ben Wilson, this year’s ‘Patrol of the Year’ from sponsor, RAC,  who will be participating in the Mercedes Vito van that he uses every day in the course of his patrol duties.

He will be supported by colleagues from the RAC refuelling patrol team who will be on-hand around the course to ensure participants keep on the move and are operating within the rules of the challenge.

This year’s MPG Marathon, which is also being co-sponsored by ALD Automotive and TRACKER, allows competitors to find the most efficient route between set checkpoints for themselves, taking into consideration possible congestion hotspots, such as town centres.

Electric and hybrid vehicle classes will again be included, and they will be joining the more familiar diesel and petrol engined cars and vans that traditionally take part in the event.

There are eight main classes of passenger cars, restricted to a maximum carbon ceiling of 190g/km, including hybrid, range-extender and fully electric vehicles, plus five main classes of vans up to 3,500kg gross vehicle weight.

MPG Marathon is won by Honda's Civic Tourer with an impressive 97.92mpg.

Honda engineers Fergal McGrath and James Warren, driving a Honda Civic Tourer, have won this year’s MPG Marathon eco-driving challenge in a nail-biting finish with last year’s champions, Nick Chapman and Rosemary Homer.

Over the two days of the event, which was again sponsored by ALD Automotive and TRACKER, the Honda pair expertly guided a Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC around the specially designated 330-mile route, recording an outstanding 97.92mpg.

However, it was a very close run thing following a determined and sustained challenge from reigning champions, Chapman and Homer, both employees of Leicestershire County Council, who, until last year’s event, had never even met before.

Again driving a 1.6 litre TDCi Ford Fiesta Titanium ECOnetic, the Leicester pair achieved an average of 97.08mpg, just fractions of a mile per gallon behind the eventual winners.

“Having won last year’s event at their first attempt, Nick and Rosemary so nearly became only our second pair of drivers to win the event for two years in a row,” said event organiser and Fleet World managing editor, Ross Durkin.

“Commiserations to them, but all credit to Fergal and James. Their performance in recording an average of 97.92mpg over the two days was quite exceptional given the challenging driving conditions that all the contestants faced.

“It is testimony to their expert eco-driving skills that they have emerged triumphant against a very strong field of competitors, including nine former champions, and shows what can be achieved with the current generation of eco-friendly models available on the market today.”

In third place overall were John Kendall and Paul Nieuwenhuis, who achieved a very creditable 95.00mpg in Citroen’s new C4 Cactus crossover. The pair drove the low-emission BlueHdi 100 Feel model which emits just 82g/km of CO₂.

Alongside the competition for the best outright MPG, the Marathon also challenged drivers to improve on the manufacturers’ official fuel consumption figures for their vehicle.

And claiming first place in this category were Marathon new-comers and current Ford motor racing stars, Louise Richardson, and her co-driver, Harrison Scott.

Louise 21, star of the family-run Richardson Racing team, is the first female racer of an EcoBoost Formula Ford car, while 18-year old Falcon Motorsport driver Harrison is current leader of the 2014 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship.

The pair were driving a powerful new Ford Fiesta ST-3 1.6 litre 182ps EcoBoost model with an official combined fuel consumption of 47.9mpg. But the racing stars blew that figure completely out of the water, achieving an astonishing 75.77mpg, over 58% better than the official figures.

“It was an outstanding achievement from Louise and Harrison in their first MPG Marathon and showed what can be done in terms of driving frugally, even in today’s modern, high-powered super-minis,” said Ross Durkin, who was presiding over the 14^th MPG Marathon to date.

 “They had to curb their natural racing instincts in trying to use as little fuel as possible over the two-day event and did so brilliantly,” he said.

In second place in the percentage improvement category was the pair of Richard Aucock and Katie Beck. Driving an all-wheel drive Subaru BRZ Sports Coupe 2.0i SE Lux with a combined fuel consumption of 36.20mpg, their performance of 55.42mpg was 53% better than the official figures.

Claiming third spot in this category were former rally star, Andy Dawson, and long time co-driver and motorsports journalist, Andrew Marriott, the 2012 MPG Marathon champions.

Behind the wheel of a new high-powered Ford Focus ST-3 2.0T 250PS with an official fuel consumption figure of 39.20mpg, the highly-experienced duo achieved 56.78mpg, some 44.84% better than the manufacturer’s own figures.

Other notable achievements this year included that from British Touring Car Championship stars, Matt Neal and Gordon Shedden, both members of the 2014 Honda Yuasa Racing Team, who were driving a Honda Civic 1.6 litre diesel Tourer.

Taking part in their first-ever MPG Marathon, their performance of 80.23mpg saw them finish in ninth place in the field of 26 teams of competitors.

In the light commercial vehicle category, there was a quite brilliant performance from Dan Gilkes, editor ofVan Fleet World, and co-driver, Ray Penford.

Behind the wheel of Renault’s all-new Trafic SL27 Energy dCi 120 Business, the pair achieved 55.55mpg, the best overall mpg and also the best percentage improvement, being 16% better than the manufacturer’s official figures of 47.90mpg.

Day one saw the contestants start from the luxurious Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel, at South Cerney near Cirencester, and head for the Brecon Beacons, with a lunch stop in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, and an afternoon tea stop in Worcester.

On day two, they again set off from South Cerney, heading for Andover in Hampshire for a coffee stop and a lunch stop at the stately Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath.

In all, the course comprised a combined total of approximately 330 miles, although contestants were free to plan their own routes, provided they included a number of pre-agreed, fixed points, which made keen navigational skills essential.

All participating vehicles were again fitted with TRACKER tracking equipment so that event organisers knew exactly where each car was and how far it had travelled.

“Congratulations to all the contestants in this year’s MPG Marathon. There were some outstanding team and individual performances, some near misses and some great results.

“Above all else, this year’s event showed conclusively that the current generation of modern cars and vans are more fuel-efficient and more environmentally friendly than ever before, and are an outstanding testimony to the achievements of all the participating motor manufacturers,” concluded Ross Durkin.

Peugeot celebrates five wins in the 2013 MPG Marathon

• New Peugeot 308 and 208 GTi take five MPG Marathon awards in both diesel and petrol classes
• Stylish new 308 achieved an average 82mpg over the 350-mile journey around the UK
• Performance-model 208 GTi demonstrates economy capability with nearly 60mpg overall

In the ever-challenging MPG Marathon, this year held from Tankersley, near Sheffield, three new Peugeot cars were pitched against their latest competitors to highlight real-world economy driving.

Two New Peugeot 308 HDi 92 models were entered with sub 100g/km CO2 and a Combined Drive Cycle exceeding 75mpg, along with the 208 GTi, more likely to be sought for its 200bhp output, agility and acceleration, but with CO2 at an impressively low 139g/km and a Combined Drive Cycle at 47.9mpg is clearly an accomplished all-round performer.

This year’s event for the first time had five set locations across the UK (Lincoln, York, Manchester, Burton-upon-Trent & Tankersley) but relied on the navigation skills of the co-driver to chance the best route in real-world driving conditions.

The final results show that with the intention of economical driving, it is possible to exceed the Government’s 'New Car Fuel Consumption and Emission Figures' (Directive 93/116/EC as amended by Regulation (EC) 692/2008) as John Kendall and Paul Nieuwenhuis in the petrol-powered 208 GTi achieved 59.39mpg over 341.1 miles – ‘the best percentage improvement’ (24%) and ‘best MPG in Class 2’.

Driving the New 308 Chris Russon, who writes for the Trinity Mirror Regional Newspaper Group, with co-driver Kevin Jones achieved 82.04mpg over 350.5 miles - the ‘best percentage improvement in Class 3’ (10.4%) and the ‘2nd best percentage improvement’, while Ian Robertson of DieselCar magazine and co-driver Marc-Antoine Negre achieved 77.15mpg over 353 miles - ‘3rd best percentage improvement’ (3.8%).

Full details of the 2013 MPG Marathon are available at http://www.thempgmarathon.co.uk/

Commenting on his achievements in the MPG Marathon, Chris Russon said: “While it is important that most new cars are declaring improved economy, the fact that the New Peugeot 308 has reduced its weight by some 140kg – equivalent to two adults – means that achieving good economy is much more likely, and driven with that in mind it not only brings great achievements but makes for safer driving too.”