The appearance of a new record for production cars became possible thanks to the latest generation three-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1.2 liters, equipped with turbocharging. The engine develops 130 hp, but can also be made in a 110-horsepower version. Paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, this power unit demonstrates impressive efficiency.
True, the run itself was carried out at the racetrack of the Spanish city of Almeria, and the Peugeot 308 methodically circled until the 51.4-liter fuel tank was completely empty. The experimenters had to circle the track for 32 hours, covering 1800 km during this time.
Last year, a Volkswagen Golf with a 1.6-liter diesel engine traveled 1602 kilometers on one tank from French Nantes to Copenhagen. The average fuel consumption on this route was 2.92 liters per hundred kilometers, but the run was not carried out in such ideal conditions as at the Almeria racetrack.
Nevertheless, it can be said that modern small-displacement gasoline engines are already closely approaching diesel power units in their efficiency.
