Frugal Ford vans take top cv places in mpg marathon

Ford Transits were the first and second placed vans in this year's MPG Marathon, with best-in-class fuel consumption and lowest cost per mile.

Transit triumphs

The 2.2-litre Ford Transit TDCi short and medium wheelbase vans were the most payload-efficient commercial vehicles in the competition, topping their class by returning best mpg and lowest cost per tonne mile. All CVs were driven over the 400-mile route with half their permissible load to demonstrate the most fuel efficient transportation of goods. Carrying 840kg, the medium-wheelbase 140PS Ford Transit registered just 11.35 pence/tonne mile.

Next best CV in the nine-strong category was the Ford Transit short wheelbase delivering 12.7 pence/tonne mile. Both Ford CVs achieved independently verified best-in-class fuel consumption results – 45.2 and 47mpg for short and medium-wheelbase models respectively.

Barry Gale, Ford commercial vehicle chief engineer, said: "This is a great result for the UK's favourite van and reflects well on our Essex-based Ford Transit engineering team. Minimising operating costs is the ultimate goal for fleet managers and we're delighted that a well-driven Ford Transit can lead the field."

In total 40 cars and commercial vehicles tackled an urban, motorway and country route between Bristol and Manchester to prove that skilful smooth driving dramatically reduces the cost of motoring. The average fuel consumption improvement was 23 per cent.

Energy saving Focus ECOnetic

The Energy Saving Trust, partners of Ford in its 2008 Smart Driving Challenge, entered a 1.6-litre Ford Focus ECOnetic, officially capable of 65.6mpg* according to its European Drive Cycle figure. Ford ECOnetic models feature a range of aerodynamic and technical enhancements, including body styling and low friction BP oils, to produce best fuel consumption figures in the Focus, Mondeo and Fiesta ranges.

In the MPG Marathon, EST head of transport Nigel Underdown and his co-driver topped 78.5mpg – an improvement of over 20 per cent compared with the car's homologated figure.

A police Ford Focus estate patrol car was driven and navigated by Devon and Cornwall officers Martin Davis and Malcolm Curnow, and returned 62.4mpg against the European Drive Cycle's 54.2mpg*. Their improvement of more than 15 per cent on the car's standard fuel economy is significant due to the extra weight of police equipment carried in patrol cars.

MPG Marathon organiser Ross Durkin said: “It’s not what you drive but how you drive that makes the difference and once again the combined efforts of all the participants and sponsors delivered a first class, educational event which has proved that skilled driving techniques work and make a dramatic impact on miles per gallon.”