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Fuel Sippers - Part Two

A look at the most fuel-efficient vehicles in Australia - finishing with petrol engines and factory LPG options...

By Michael Knowling

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At a glance...

  • Final of two-part series
  • The most fuel-efficient petrol-engined cars sold new in Australia
  • Factory LPG options
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In the first part of this series (see Fuel Sippers – Part One) we examined the most fuel-efficient hybrid and diesel-powered vehicles available new in Australia. The benchmark Toyota Prius hybrid achieves 4.4 litres per 100km consumption while the best of the diesel hatches returns 4.7 litres per 100km.

So what’s the best you can get from a petrol-engined car? We find out and also take a look at factory LPG options for larger cars...

Fuel-Efficient Petrol Vehicles

Without the ‘magic’ of hybrid drivelines or modern diesel injection, it’s inevitable that the most fuel-efficient petrol-engined cars are also amongst the smallest. As you’ll see, the following cars employ engines ranging from well under a litre to a maximum of 1.6 litres – it’s time to get compact!

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One of the most intriguing vehicles to arrive in Australia in recent years is the Smart fortwo. The fortwo, as its name suggests, is strictly a two-seater which means it is severely limited from a practicality point of view. But it’s not without appeal! At just 2.5 metres long, the micro fortwo is a breeze to park and is widely trumpeted as the answer to city congestion. The fortwo also features interchangeable body panels which are available in a variety of colours and a wind-in-your-hair cabriolet version is available. Sure, it’s tiny in stature but the fortwo doesn’t miss out on equipment – there’s a glass roof, front airbags, brake assist, stability control, a CD/tuner, air conditioning, power windows and a leather steering wheel. And, yes, all of this can be squeezed inside - just...

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Under the bonnet, the fortwo uses a vibrant 698cc three-cylinder petrol engine - with a turbocharger! Output is 45kW/95Nm and drive is through a sequential six-speed auto transmission. At 730kg, the fortwo takes over 15 seconds to reach 100 km/h (making it the slowest so far in this series) but we reckon some more boost would quickly fix that situation. Fuel consumption is listed at 4.8 litres per 100km but note that expensive premium unleaded (95+ RON) is recommended.

Selling brand new, a Smart fortwo hardtop coupe can be bought for just under AUD$20,000 while the cabrio fetches AUD$22,990. Second-hand examples (from 2003) can be picked up from about AUD$15,000.

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The most fuel-efficient conventional hatch is the much underrated Mitsubishi Colt. At 5.6 litres per 100km, the Colt returns fuel consumption not far behind the ‘awesome’ hybrid and diesel vehicles. Under the bonnet is an ultra-efficient 1.5-litre petrol four-cylinder with MIVEC variable inlet cam timing, low friction pistons and tubular extractors to help generate 77kW/141Nm. Drive is put through an efficient continuously variable transmission (CVT). Consider its relatively light weight (just over 1000kg) and excellent aerodynamics (0.31 Cd) and you can see why it’s so frugal. Accelerative performance is respectable – expect 0 – 100 km/h in the mid 12 second range.

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The Colt uses a five-door hatchback body (which shares 40 percent of components with the Smart forfour) and offers excellent practicality. The rear seating arrangement is extremely flexible, there are plenty of small storage facilities and there’s no lack of passenger space. Standard equipment in the base Colt LS includes power windows, four-speaker CD/tuner and dual airbags.

A new Colt LS retails for AUD$18,990. Not cheap in the small hatch segment, but a bargain in the context of hybrids and diesels that give similar fuel consumption.

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Another car that has slipped under the radar is the Citroen C3. Released in Australia in late ’02, the C3 hatch was voted most beautiful small car in the world - but we’re not so sure about that... Its visual appeal is up to you but with 6.2 litres per 100km fuel consumption, the C3 certainly appeals as one of the most fuel-efficient hatches in the country.

Early versions and the current base model come powered by a 1.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that generates 57kW. In manual guise, the C3 reaches 100 km/h in 14.2 seconds and delivers combined fuel consumption of 6.2 litres per 100km. An automatic version drinks almost one extra litre per 100km so make sure you give that a wide berth. Note that, like the Smart fortwo, 95+ RON fuel is recommended.

Interestingly, a 1.6-litre version has been included in the C3 line-up since 2003. The bigger engine gives 80kW for noticeably improved performance but, curiously, claimed fuel consumption remains identical to the 1.4... Walk into a dealership and you can expect to pay AUD$19,990 for a Citroen C3 1.4 or an extra AUD$3000 for the 1.6.

The nearest rivals for these petrol-engined machines are the Honda Jazz, Proton Savvy, Toyota Yaris, Peugeot 206 and Mercedes-Benz A150 - all offer consumption of 6.7 litres per 100km or better.

Factory LPG Alternatives

A couple of full-size Australian vehicles are currently available with factory developed gas systems. Switching to LPG does little to reduce the consumption of fuel (in fact, consumption is often increased) but given LPG costs around half as much as normal unleaded, it is an attractive option.

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The leading purveyor of factory LPG systems in Australia is Ford. The current BF Falcon XT and Futura (sedan and wagon), Falcon SR and Fairmont sedan and XR6 ute models are offered with a dedicated E-Gas system which eliminates the conventional fuel system – but note that it’s available only on auto trans versions.

Interestingly, the AUD$1400 optional E-Gas system (which must be specified at the time of purchase) comprises a revised high compression version of the in-line 4-litre engine which generates 156kW/372Nm (down from 190kW/383Nm in the petrol version). Boot space is also reduced by the introduction of a LPG tank but there’s no denying the reduced running costs – Ford claims fuel savings of around 47 percent. Given the base-spec Falcon XT auto is listed at 10.9 litres per 100km, that should equate to a comparable (dollars basis) fuel consumption figure of less than 6 litres per 100km. Very impressive for a big six!

The still-running-out-the-door Holden VZ Commodore doesn’t come with the option of a ‘single fuel’ LPG system like the Ford, but there is a factory option dual-fuel system. We believe that this is available on Executive sedan and wagon only. The Sequential Vapour Gas Injection (SVGI) system injects gas into each air intake runner and the gas tank is mounted behind the rear seat (or in the spare wheel well, depending if the vehicle is a sedan or wagon). The claimed fuel consumption is around 15 litres per 100km which, given the price of LPG, equates to a comparable fuel consumption figure of around 7.5 litres per 100km. Fuel consumption is unchanged from factory when running on normal petrol.

At the time of writing, details of the new VE Commodore LPG system are yet to be released.

One thing is for sure. While hybrid and diesel powered cars are the topic of conversation, the good ‘ol petrol engine still has some life left – especially when fitted with cheap-on-your-pocket LPG.

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