Introducing the - Peugeot

PEUGEOT...
HEAVY ON STYLE
light on fuel
A
modern, well-engineered diesel car can be
heavy on style, packed with power and yet
still be light on fuel. Peugeot proved it by
taking category honours in the 2007 Total Economy
Run with a nearly new Peugeot 407 coupé fitted
with a 2.7 litre diesel bi-turbo engine.
Fuel consumption averaged 6.69 litres
per 100km over 1 505km. Our nearest rival
recorded 7.3 litres per 100km.
The coupé was driven by Andrew Carter, a seasoned
economy run campaigner and motor sport veteran,
but the car itself was ‘stock standard’.
That assurance comes from Gideon du Plessis,
dealer principal of Peugeot West Rand, the
dealership responsible for vehicle preparation
ahead of the event.
He added: “The only difference is nitrogen in the
tyres
* . In all other respects, the results show what
owners can achieve if they drive economically,
follow recommended service intervals, optimise
settings and do common sense things like watch
tyre pressures and keep filters clean.”
The event takes place over three days on similar
lines to a regular rally. The aim, as always, is to
decide the country’s most miserly vehicles under
road conditions (and traffic ordinances) that the
average driver encounters every day.
The initial run covered 265km from Muldersdrift to
Hartebeespoort Dam, Brits, Maarnarand, Marikana,
Pretoria North, back though Brits to Broederstoom
and back to Muldersdrift.
The next day, the route was Muldersdrift, the Cradle
of Humankind, Hekpoort, Maarnarand, Derby,
Koster, Zeerust, Rustenburg, Sun City, Carletonville,
Randfontein, Krugersdorp and back to Muldersdrift,
a distance of 620km. The route, in reverse direction,
was retraced the next day.
Driving for economy when a sizeable power-pack
sits under the bonnet was a key challenge for
Andrew Carter. He explained: “This is a twin-turbo
coupé with peak torque at 1900 revs. You have all
the performance you need, but it is also possible to
drive for incredible fuel efficiency.
The essential technique is to drive conservatively
in the highest gear without the engine flagging
while monitoring the rev counter. You don’t drive
with the air conditioning on because of the power
drain which measurably increases fuel consumption,
but otherwise the average driver could achieve
significant gains in fuel efficiency by maintaining basic
disciplines like this.”
Andrew Carter was accompanied daily by navigator
Manfred Hertz and an official observer whose sole
purpose was to ensure that none of the rules of the
road were broken.
The final day, our driver reported, was “typical of
any Saturday in a farming community with trucks,
tractors, women going shopping, farmers driving
bakkies and mini-bus taxis by the score”. Of course,
the score that mattered most was that 6.69/100km
by a 2.7 HDi DPFS 150kW engine. What a coup
for our coupé!
*Nitrogen cools the tyres and helps improve fuel
efficiency.