It’s imperative for the modern consumer to be more educated so we understand which cars are the most fuel efficient and what car manufacturers are planning for the future.
Here’s what different car manufacturers and Consumer Reports had to say about the fuel efficiency of some of the cars Australians most commonly drive:
– Holden Commodore: Now part of the Ecoline range of vehicles made with fuel-saving technology. Bio-ethanol capable Commodores are “flex fuel” meaning they can run on regular unleaded petrol (ULP) or premium petrol as well as Bio-ethanol E85 and E10. Bio-ethanol is a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol. This option not only saves you money but increases the power and performance of your Commodore.
– Toyota Hilux: Most well known as durable trucks great for commerical use. These vehicles have a reputation for being unbreakable and long lasting so the Hilux driver gets a better return on their initial investment by driving their truck longer.
– The Mazda3: City 33.81, Highway 62.79 (Kilometres Per Litre)
– Toyota Corolla: City 37.03, Highway 64.4 (Kilometres Per Litre) American Consumer Reports Rated the Corolla #14 for best fuel mileage in 2010.
– Ford Falcon: Ford Falcons have been designed, developed and built in Australia since 1972 specifically for the requirements and road conditions of Australian drivers. Modern Falcon models come with a $2,000 Government grant available for optional E-Gas Engines. E-Gas saves up to 50% over petrol.
– Mitsubishi Lancer: Urban 42.5, Extra Urban 66.8, Combined 55.4 (Kilometres Per Litre)
– Hyundai Getz: Urban 65.8, Extra Urban 96.8, Combined 82.8 (Kilometres Per Litre)
– Toyota Yaris: City 37.03, Highway 66.01 (Kilometres Per Litre). American consumer reports rated the Yaris #13 for best fuel mileage in 2010.
One recent report shows the following cars to be the most fuel efficient:
1. 2010 Toyota Prius: City 82.11, Highway 77.28 (Kilometres Per Litre)
2. 2010 Honda Civic: City 64.4, Highway 72.45 (Kilometres Per Litre)
3. 2010 Honda Insight: City 64.4, Highway 69.23 (Kilometres Per Litre)
4. 2011 Audi A3: City 48.3, Highway 67.62 (Kilometres Per Litre)
5. 2010 Audi A3: City 48.3, Highway 67.62 (Kilometres Per Litre)
Ford reports the following cars, trucks and SUVs to be the most fuel efficient their class:
1. 2010 Ford Fiesta: City 46.69, Highway 64.4 (Kilometres Per Litre)
2. 2010 Ford Focus: City 40.25, Highway 56.35 (Kilometres Per Litre). Ford is scheduled to release a battery electric version of the Ford Focus in 2011.
3. 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid: City 66.01 Highway 57.96 (Kilometres Per Litre). The Ford Fusion Hybrid can go more than 1,127 city kilometres between fill-ups and travel up to 75.67 (Kilometres Per Litre) in electric vehicle mode.
4. 2010 Ford Ranger Truck: City 35.42, Highway 43.47 (Kilometres Per Litre)
5. 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid: City 54.74, Highway 49.91 (Kilometres Per Litre)
The following results feature the 15 most fuel efficient cars currently sold throughout the world today. This Consumer Reports group is a non-profit organization that conducts specific tests on all vehicles to measure fuel economy each year. They use a precision flow meter and calculate overall kilometres by testing each vehicle on equal portions of the city and high expressway driving a 241.5 kilometre trip.
These results reflect the Overall (Kilometres Per Litre) rating with Highway (Kilometres Per Litre) up to 17.71 (Kilometres Per Litre) more in fuel efficiency for each.
1. Toyota Prius IV: 70.84 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
2. Smart For Two Passion: 62.79 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
3. Honda Insight EX: 61.18 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
4. Volkswagen Gold TDI: 61.18 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
5. Honda Civic Hybrid: 59.57 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
6. Toyota Camry Hybrid: 54.74 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
7. Ford Fusion Hybrid: 54.74 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
8. Scion xD: 54.74 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
9. Mini Cooper: 53.13 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
10. Honda Fit Sport: 53.13 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
11. Volkswagen Jetta TDI: 53.13 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
12. Nissan Altima Hybrid: 51.52 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
13. Toyota Yaris (base): 51.52 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
14. Toyota Corolla LE: 51.52 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
15. Toyota Corolla (base): 51.52 Overall (Kilometres Per Litre)
Note: Fuel efficiency reported in Miles Per Gallon was converted to Kilometres Per Litre using standard conversion calculations of 1 Mile Per Gallon equal to 1.61 Kilometre Per Litre.
When you think of Australia and cars, most often you think of racing. Australia obviously has a huge presence in racing with Mark Webber in the number one position for Formula One racing in 2010. Australia is also home to the International V8 Supercar racing series with more than 250,000 spectators attending the 14 weekend races each season.
V8 Supercars are modified versions of the locally built Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore. The Falcon and Holden vehicles are not only two of the most popular cars bought by Australian consumers, they are also most commonly used for taxis and police vehicles. Their rivalry on Australian roadways overflows onto the racetracks which lends additional excitement to the V8 Supercar series, with people belonging to either the “Ford tribe’ or the “Holden tribe”.
What a lot of people may not know is that Australia has also been an established manufacturer and exporter of automobiles since the 1900s; Australia has its share of pioneers in the car industry. Colonel Harley Tarrant built the first automobile in Victoria in 1901. Australian Six was an Australian automobile manufactured locally from 1919 to 1925. Ford Australia was established in Victoria in 1925 and is the only Australian car manufacturer which designs and manufactures its own unique high-volume engine.
Toyota Australia and Chrysler Australia were established in the 1950s. Holden, originally an independent Australian automaker, became a subsidiary of General Motors in 1931 and is still producing the beloved Holden series today.
Other Australian automakers and designers include Guy Buckingham, who founded Nota in 1952, Queensland’s Barry Lock founder of Kaditcha, and Matt Thomas designer of the Joss Supercar. There have been between 40 and 50 different automobile makers and vehicle manufacturers located in Australia over the past 90 years offering a wide variety of locally produced vehicles to the Australian people.
The Top Selling Cars in Australia for 2010 include:
1. Holden Commodore
2. Toyota Hilux
3. Mazda3
4. Toyota Corolla
5. Hyundai i30
6. Ford Falcon
7. Holden Cruze
8. Mitsubishi Lancer
9. Hyundai Getz
10. Toyota Yaris
Australia’s history with the automobile is rich. Australian car manufacturers have recognized the importance of participating in the development of automobiles for more than 100 years and have left their own footprint on the industry with innovative contributions like the Ute, fast engines and racing cars.
Today the Australian market offers a variety of sporty and fuel-efficient vehicles to meet the needs of all consumers with a strong focus on developing more “earth friendly” and cost effective technologies. Two of Australia’s favourites, the Holden and Falcon series, have both been redesigned with new alternative fuels like LPG and E85 with future plans for electricity and fuel cell in the works.
Australian car manufacturers continue to redesign and refine vehicles to better meet the future needs of all drivers. Education is the key as you look forward to purchasing your next vehicle.
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