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‘Green’ cars among worst fuel claim offenders

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The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the most popular ULEV in the UK market

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6 May 2015

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If you use your own car for business you should be aware of MAR to make sure you’re not paying too much tax[/caption]

PLUG-IN hybrid cars are among top five worst offenders as 98% of vehicles tested in latest research couldn’t match or beat economy claims.

Now new calls have come to force car manufacturers to give realistic fuel economy claims from consumer campaigner Which?

It tested 200 new cars across 2013 and 2014 and found that all but three of them fell short of their official mpg figures by 13% on average, resulting in drivers spending £133 more a year on fuel than should have been expected.

But the car that hit its owners’ pockets the hardest was the Jeep Grand Cherokee

Which? says the official test used by carmakers is out dated and contains a number of loopholes that lead to unrealistic figures. Manufacturers are allowed to reduce results by 4% at the end of the test, can opt to only test in a car’s ‘eco’ mode, turn off lights and air-con, and increase tyre pressures above the recommended levels to reduce rolling resistance. It also doesn’t accurately reflect real-life scenarios, such as motorway driving.

Consumers are being misinformed about their cars’ fuel consumption in advertising and at point of sale, which means they’re likely to end up spending more on fuel. The car that performed worst compared to its official mpg figure was the a plug-in hybrid Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which overstated its mpg by a staggering 120%, costing £459 a year in unexpected fuel costs.

But the car that hit its owners’ pockets the hardest was the Jeep Grand Cherokee – based on Which? tests, drivers will shell out up to £854 a year more on fuel than they should. Other cars that will cost owners a lot more to fuel are the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé at £421, BMW X4 at £419 and Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid £352.

An improved test is due to be introduced from 2017 but the European Commission (EC) is facing heavy pressure from the car industry to delay this change until 2020 and any further delay will only end up costing consumers.

Which? is urging the EC to stand firm and implement the new test in 2017 as planned.

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