One of the Volkswagen Transporter family members has successfly demonstrated how cost-effective it is to run by achieving 52.48 mpg after a challenging competition in real-world conditions at the Total Excellium MPG Marathon 2008. The real-world conditions included a variety of A and B roads plus motorway driving over a fixed route from Bristol to Macclesfield and back via Wales and the Peak District with the Transporter carrying 50 per cent of its payload.
As the only medium or large van to achieve more than 50 mpg during the event, the Transporter T28 SWB also used less fuel and had the lowest cost per mile than its rivals thanks to an economical combination of performance and flexibility from its 1.9-litre TDI PD engine delivering 102 PS with 250 Nm of torque at 2,500 rpm.
TheTransporter travelled almost three miles further per gallon over the 412 mile route than its most direct rival in the competition, theMercedes Vito 109 CDi, and was also competitive against smaller vans, with a lower cost per tonne/mile than a Citroën Nemo.
'This clearly demonstrates how cost-effective and economical the Volkswagen Transporter can be in real-world driving, and how operators can cut fuel costs by using more economical driving techniques,' said Simon Elliott, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
'The MPG figures speak for themselves, but what they don't show is how comfortable and easy to drive the Transporter is,' said Doug Powell, a retired public sector Fleet Manager who drove the Transporter in the MPG Marathon.
'It drives like a car and the quality of the driver's environment makes long spells at the wheel much more appealing,' he continued.
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