Small cars fall short in real-world fuel testing
Small cars usually mean small fuel bills, but that’s not always the case as revealed by the latest results from Australia’s Real-World Testing Program (RWTP).
One of Australia’s most popular small cars used 35% more fuel than its advertised fuel consumption according to new data from the RWTP.
The diminutive Mazda 2 is among the vehicles to have the greatest percentage variance between its advertised fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions and its testing in the latest round of the Australian Automobile Association’s (AAA) RWTP.
The Mazda 2 was one of 14 popular vehicles included in the testing conducted by Australia’s peak motoring body, which revealed that seven of the 14 vehicles consumed between 10–35% more fuel than advertised.
The Mazda 2 had the largest fuel consumption discrepancy (35%) of the vehicles tested, recording 6.8L/100km during RWTP versus its lab test fuel result of 5.0L/100km.
Two other small cars were among the vehicles that recorded the largest discrepancy between their lab result and their RWTP result, with the Suzuki Swift Hybrid using 5.2L/100km versus its lab result of 4.0L/100km, for a 31% difference, and the MG 5 using 8.0L/100km versus its lab result of 6.6L/100km, a 21% difference.
Another Mazda, the CX-5 medium SUV used 9.0L/100km during the RWTP versus its lab result of 7.4L/100km, resulting in a 22% discrepancy.
It's worth noting that despite having one of the larger variations between its RWT and its laboratory fuel-consumption result, the Suzuki Swift Hybrid has one of the lowest RWT consumption figures recorded (just behind a series of Toyota hybrids).
Since testing began in 2023, the RWTP has released real-world fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions results for 84 popular cars, with the results showing more than half of the vehicles tested use at least 5% more fuel in real driving conditions compared to their mandatory lab test results, and five of these cars use over 30% more.
Only one vehicle, the Mitsubishi Outlander AWD improved on its lab result in the latest round of testing, using 7.9L/100km versus its publicised 8.1L/100 figure, a 2% improvement.
The petrol V8-powered Nissan Patrol 4x4 matched its lab result at 14.5L/100km, as did the Isuzu Ute MU-X 4x4 at 8.3L/100km, although the diesel-powered Isuzu SUV’s NOx emissions exceeded the current Australian lab results regulatory limit
AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said the results again showed real-world testing was needed to help consumers and fleet buyers avoid buying a vehicle that produced more emissions and higher running costs than advertised.
“While some cars perform as per the information at point of sale, our program is revealing that many, if not most, do not,” Mr Bradley said.
The AAA claims the RWTP will also make the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) more robust and more effective.
The Federal Government’s NVES commenced in January 2025 and incentivises car makers to sell more low-emissions vehicles to reduce the nation’s transport emissions.
“Testing cars in real Australian driving conditions will help sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to cars delivering fuel consumption that matches their mandated laboratory test results, and it will act as a complementary audit regime for the NVES,” Mr Bradley said.
“The program is working with the NVES to help make the national vehicle fleet cleaner and more fuel-efficient.”
The RWTO was developed by the AAA and funded by the Commonwealth Government to help Australian consumers and fleets reduce their fuel consumption and motoring costs and access better information on vehicle emissions.
The RWTP tests cars on roads in and around Geelong, Victoria, and uses strict protocols to ensure fuel consumption and emissions results are repeatable and to minimise the influence of human factors such as driving style and changing traffic flows.
For full results on all 84 vehicles tested so far, visit realworld.org.au.
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