FORD FIESTA IS SA'S MOST FUEL-EFFICIENT CAR

The Ford Fiesta Ambiente TDCi manual has been named the most fuel efficient car in South Africa following this weekend’s Total Economy Run. Driven by Stuart Greig and Wynand Gerber the Fiesta used just 4.485 litres per 100km, to claim the overall and Class L laurels.

The Fiesta’s state-of-the-art common-rail injection Duratorq TDCi engine features advanced technologies that ensure optimal fuel economy and CO2 emissions without sacrificing on performance. The 1560cc motor develops 66kW at 4000rpm and has a torque peak of 200Nm at just 1500rpm equating to a 0-100 acceleration time of 11.9 seconds and a top speed of 175km/h.

“We were extremely impressed with the Fiesta and the exceptional results we were able to achieve this weekend,” said Greig after the event. “The competition was stiff but the Fiesta was up to the challenge.”

Ford continued to collect the silverware with rally stalwarts Charl Wilken and Greg Godrich dominating Class C in their Ford Fiesta 1.6 5-door Titanium. They used 6.013 litres per 100km on route to the class victory while Gordon Noble and Graham Bate followed them home in second place in their Ford Focus 1.6 Trend, using 6.151 litres per 100km.

Harry Young and Manfred Hertz rounded out a successful weekend for Ford, taking second place in Class B in their Figo 1.4 with an average fuel consumption figure of 6.328 litres per 100km.

The Total Economy Run remains the only contest where one is able to measure fuel consumption over the same route, distance and under the same regulations.

“We’re extremely proud of the team for demonstrating Ford’s efficient technologies and securing some fantastic results this past weekend,” said Ford Marketing Manager, Gavin Golightly. “With fuel efficiency an increasingly important consideration among consumers this event provided a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate Ford’s competitiveness in this area.”

All the vehicles that participated in the Total Economy Run were standard with no alterations or additions added to assist in fuel efficiency. Vehicles were monitored and scrutinized to ensure that all rules are adhered to, while the driver and navigator of each vehicle were accompanied by an assigned observer to ensure that all road and competition rules are complied with. 

STORY BY FORD