Volkswagen at the MPG marathon: The results

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Volkswagen at the MPG marathon: The results

Volkswagen is pleased to report a successful performance in this month's 2010 ALD Automotive/Total ECO 10 MPG Marathon.



Two vehicles were entered, both of which demonstrated impressive economy, thanks to a combination of engineering, technology and careful driving.



The Golf GTI with 2.0-litre 210 PS engine and DSG automatic gearbox has a manufacturer combined figure of 38.2 mpg. Driven by David Madgwick and Ashleigh White, it achieved 55.63 mpg – a 45.62 per cent improvement – to claim the best percentage improvement accolade.



Meanwhile, the Polo BlueMotion – a vehicle more traditionally associated with low fuel consumption and driven by Andrew Andersz and Alyson Marlow – was named runner-up in the best 'overall MPG' category. The Polo returned 89.22 mpg during the event, representing an 8.52 per cent improvement over the manufacturer's combined economy figure of 80.7 mpg.



The Polo BlueMotion has a three-cylinder 1.2-litre 75 PS common rail diesel engine and a raft of economy measures including aerodynamic and gearing modifications, Stop/Start system, low rolling resistance tyres and battery regeneration. Despite this, it is a practical five-seater and retains all same design, quality and practical attributes of other Polo models. Winner of the best 'overall MPG' category was the SMART Fortwo.



Thirty-five vehicles took part in this year's 400 mile, two-day challenge which covered a testing combination of A and B roads as well as the motorways of Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Only six, including the Polo BlueMotion, achieved more than 80 mpg.

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