It's comfortably the most efficient engine option in the range too, thanks to
its claimed economy figures of 22mpg for the city and 33mpg for the highway (for comparison's purposes, a like - for - like Mercedes - Benz C - Class can return 24mpg and 35mpg on the city and highway respectively).
Yes, you do lose out on mid-range punch in comparison with the 328i (which has a more powerful version of the same engine), and
the claimed economy figures for both engines are remarkably similar, but you do save a whopping $ 5,000 by opting for a 320i instead of a 328i.
It's not class - leading here, though: the Ford Fiesta posts higher
claimed economy figures.
The Anniversary 208 GTi is able to accelerate to 100km / h in 6.5 sec (6.8 for the regular 208 GTi) which makes it the fastest of the bunch, yet according to the official figures it's also cleaner and more economical with a combined fuel consumption of 5.4 L / 100 km and a CO2 figure of 125g / km (our test car fell well short of
the claimed economy figures at 7.5 L / 100 km).
The claimed economy figures are hugely impressive, and if you drive gently, you should be able to get close to them on the road.
Of course, being the smallest engine in the Lexus GS range, the 2.0 - liter turbocharged gasoline unit is also one of the most efficient in the line - up, with
the claimed economy figures of 22mpg in the city and 33mpg on the highway making the car in this guise one of the more efficient sedans in this class.
Plus, with
claimed economy figures 23 / 31mpg for the city and highway respectively for the rear - wheel drive models (or 22/28 for Q50 2.0 t variants that comes with the optional all - wheel drive system), the Infiniti is fairly frugal — though it's worth pointing out that the like - for - like BMW 3 Series, Mercedes - Benz C - Class and Audi A4 are, on paper at least, able to go that bit further per gallon of fuel.
The 138bhp version of this engine, despite its boost in power, returns the same
claimed economy figures, so you shouldn't be paying any more in terms of fuel costs for the faster version, and business users will incur BIK tax at the same rate with both engines.
Even by the standards of comparable engines in this segment,
the claimed economy figures of 14mpg in the city and 19mpg on the highway aren't especially impressive (a like - for - like Chevrolet Suburban, for instance, will return 16mpg in the city and 23mpg on the highway).
It's worth bearing in mind that you're unlikely to get anywhere near
the claimed economy figures if you drive the car quickly.
The diesel
claims an economy figure of 67mpg and CO2 emissions of 110g / km, resulting in a tax bill of just # 20 a year and a 20 % Benefit - in - Kind (BiK) rating for company car buyers.
There are also 1.6 - litre BlueHDi diesels for economy focused drivers — opt for the 74bhp version and
the claimed economy figure is a stunning 94.2 mpg.
We managed 41mpg on test, which was slightly ahead of the other cars here, although the Ford does have a better
claimed economy figure.
Not exact matches
Russia has gone them one better: By picking a 1990 baseline, before the collapse of the Soviet Union's
economy, they
figure they can actually continue to increase their emissions and still
claim a long - term reduction.
David Cameron
claimed Labour was «desperate» for a double - dip in the
economy, as he was quizzed after
figures showed the UK
economy grew by 0.5 % in the first three months of the year.
Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen has rejected
claims that the proposed HS2 rail project could boost the UK
economy by # 15bn a year, calling the
figures «pie in the sky».
The government
claimed that securing a budget allocation for STI in 2010 of $ 297.3 million — a relatively small decline over the 2009
figure — is a victory and validation of its policy to place science at the heart of its economic policy and drive to create a «knowledge
economy.»
BMW's latest generation of engines offer an excellent blend of power and
economy when it comes to
claimed figures although as with all manufacturers real - world MPG won't match the showroom
claims.
MPG and running costs > Audi
claims a combined fuel
economy figure of 40.4 mpg and 162g / km of CO2 for the S - tronic.
We have a set of calibrated scales that allows us to measure the corner weights to an accuracy of a few kilograms, so, as with performance and
economy figures, we can find any significant variance from what a car maker
claims.
When WLTP becomes the new norm,
claimed fuel
economy figures for all cars will drop, and CO2 emissions will rise.
The official
claim is an 8.6 - sec 0 - 62mph time and a 135mph top speed, together with a 56.5 mpg combined
economy figure.
It's
claimed to reach 62mph in 5.1 sec and run on to 155mph, but as yet Audi hasn't confirmed fuel
economy or CO2
figures for the model.
According to Suzuki's
figures, that's good for a 10.6 - second 0 - 62mph time and a 121mph top speed, with
claimed combined
economy of 65.7 mpg.
Sure enough, Chrysler
claims the Two - Mode system improves city fuel
economy by 40 per cent, while the trucks» combined city / highway
figures jump by 25 per cent.
This Macan S Diesel has a
claimed fuel
economy figure of 19 kmpl in the UK cycle which is impressive.
Mechanically, nothing has changed to the recipe other than lowered sports suspension, so the 237bhp 2.0 - litre diesel still manages 0 - 62mph in 7.3 seconds and a
claimed combined
economy figure of 48.7 mpg.
Being a relatively lightweight car with pretty efficient engines should make the MX - 5 cheap to run; during our real - world fuel
economy test, the range - topping 2.0 - litre unit returned an incredible 47.9 mpg (up 7mpg on Mazda's official
claimed figure).
The 237bhp diesel, badged 25d, brings a disappointingly large drop in
claimed fuel
economy figures, only managing 53.3 mpg combined as a rear - wheel drive car and emitting 129g / km.
While most car firms make great
claims of improved efficiency with their new models, Jag has added a dollop more power — to hell with the CO2 and fuel
economy figures.
The fuel -
economy claims also match that outlandishness, and it's well worth sniggering at the 3.0 L / 100 km NEDC
figure rather than planning your fuel stops around it.
Fuel
economy is good, but nowhere near the
claimed 69 mpg combined
figure.
Suzuki
claims that the Vitara S - Turbo should achieve a fuel
economy figure of 6.2 L / 100 km and our real - life
figure was refreshingly close to that at 6.9 L with a mixture of urban and freeway driving.
Its party piece is
claimed economy; even in the higher - output form the Ingenium sips only 5.1 L / 100 km, according to the ADR combined - cycle test; not bad for a 1664 kg (kerb) five - door SUV... and there's no doubting the nine - speed automatic also assists in achieving the headline consumption
figure.
The most economical non-electrified Countryman is, unsurprisingly, the Cooper D. Its
claimed fuel
economy figure of 65.7 mpg is very good; especially given the slower Audi Q2 1.6 TDI only manages 64.2 mpg.
The company
claims an ADR Combined fuel
economy figure of 6.5 L / 100 km on the rolling road.
It delivers a
claimed combined fuel
economy figure of 43.5 mpg with a CO2 output of 171g / km but will still propel the newly lightened Discovery to 60mph from rest in a brisk 8.0 sec.
Another negative is that while Lexus
claims the GS 450h will return 46.3 mpg, it can be hard to match that
figure in everyday driving; hybrids have a reputation for falling well short of their headline
economy figures and the GS is no different.
Fuel
economy is much more impressive in the cheaper GS 300h, returning a
claimed 64.2 mpg, while the GS 450h should return up to 46.3 mpg, although in truth we struggled to get more than 40mpg, let alone match the official
figure of the GS 450h F Sport.
Although there are no official performance
figures quoted for the Alaskan, the engine is capable of a
claimed combined
economy figure of 40.4 mpg in the Master.
The version of the XE we tested had a
claimed combined
economy figure of 4.2 l / 100 km, but in mixed conditions we were very far off that mark.
Auto idle - stop is standard and Honda
claims an ECE Combined fuel
economy figure of 10L / 100 km for the NSX.
The 355bhp petrol - engined M40i gets to 62mph in 4.8 seconds and has
claimed fuel
economy of around 31mpg, while the equivalent
figures on the diesel M40d are 322bhp, 4.9 seconds and 44.1 mpg.
Not that it's hard to return good fuel
economy with the diesels: Fiat
claims a 68.9 mpg combined
figure, while the petrol engine records an official
figure of 42.8 mpg.
One must be careful when presented with
claims about this motorcycle or that attaining «63.5 mpg US», or some other fuel
economy figure.
Whilst it's very frugal as a result of its 29mpg city / 34mpg highway
economy figures, it's worth pointing out that the Infiniti Q70 Hybrid (which, at $ 55,900, is $ 7,735 less expensive than the Lexus) is
claimed to be just as efficient.
Downsizing has also resulted in some rather impressive fuel
economy figures: the official stats
claim the front - wheel - drive Mazda CX - 9 can return 22mpg in the city and 28mpg on the highway, with all - wheel - drive models sacrificing just one mpg in both categories for their superior on - paper abilities in more adverse weather conditions.
The engine is quiet and almost inaudible when travelling at any speed, while the
claimed fuel
economy figure is well within reach if driven with efficiency in mind.
Big, frugal hatchback offers impressively low running costs without compromise, with Skoda
claiming a headline
economy figure of 88mpg
On the other hand, the 1.6 l diesel will hit the ton in 11.3 s and deliver a
claimed fuel
economy figure of 22.7 kmpl.