Manufacturer-Claimed Mileage Per Litre Will Be Closer To ‘Real-World’ Figures Soon

Change in testing procedure means one will be able to achieve, or even better, the manufacturer-claimed fuel efficiency figure of any car

In India, fuel efficiency (average fuel consumption per litre, often referred to as mileage) is an important parameter that affects decisions while buying a new car. Therefore, carmakers tend to quote a high fuel efficiency figure for their products in the hope that it will lead to more sales. However, the claimed mileage figure that is quoted is not tested by the manufacturer. Instead, these figures are certified by organisations like ARAI or ICAT, which follow a standard procedure – the Indian Driving Cycle – on cars from different manufacturers in their labs. After running a car through a select pattern of gear shifts, acceleration, braking and other parameters, these organisations then award the final fuel efficiency figure to the manufacturer.

With the IDC procedure expected to be overhauled, the new driving cycle will be closer to real world driving conditions. As a result, the fuel efficiency figures claimed by carmakers will not only see a dip, but also become more achievable than before.

To put things into perspective, Datsun has revealed that the redi-GO with the 0.8-litre engine under the new testing procedure returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 22.7kmpl, 2.47kmpl less than the previously claimed figure of 25.17kmpl.

Michael Jopp, vice president, sales and marketing of Mercedes-Benz India, said, “Official norms will be changing, and they’ll be more towards real-world driving. So, the difference between the official consumption and the real-world consumption will narrow in future. It’s a change of method. Development will continue, and fuel consumption will always go down with every upgrade and generation.”

It may take some time before all the existing cars are tested under the new method. We’ll keep an eye on any unusual variation in the fuel efficiency figure of any cars currently on sale in India.