Mileage run

Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Verna seem to be the most fuel efficient cars by miles, if the recent adverts and news is to go by. Hyundai India had a recent mileage run, in which a Verna diesel recorded a mileage of 41.xx kmpl, and Autocar got a mileage of 33.xx in the Ford Fiesta. Frankly speaking all this mileage is hogwash, while i dont doubt the claims, but practically speaking you wont get even half of this in normal city driving. All these figures are very misleading.


Car companies advertise saying mileage of 33.xx kpml with a small star saying under ideal conditions. While there is no doubt that both these cars are excellent but the kind of marketting strategy which car companies are trying to adopt by showing such mileage figures is too far fetched, i am sure if someone runs a Swift diesel under similar conditions it will beat both these cars in the mileage department, but it doesnot make sense at all. Under ideal conditions the car is driven at 40kmph, with no AC, with very rare use of brakes or clutch, etc. Something not possible to do under normal driving conditions. And its just not Ford and Hyundai who do this, there was an advert some time back by Mahindra about the Logan on similar lines, claiming a unrealistic mileage figure. Manufacturers should stop practising advertisements showing mileage under ideal conditions.