From a field of 35 entrants representing a cross-section of eco friendly hybrids, economical city cars, hot hatchbacks and other family models, Mazda entered a two-car team in this year’s testing MPG Marathon event, 330 miles over the roads of south-west England, with the latest Mazda CX7 Sports Crossover and the Mazda 3 MPS super-hatch.
Iain Robertson, motoring journalist and twice previous winner in a Mazda 6 2.0i and Mazda 6 MPS, took Mazda CX7 Sports Crossover and was co-driven by Jerry Ramsdale. The performance of motoring journalist Sue Cooke (co-driven by her 19 year old daughter Joanne), drove the 260ps Mazda 3 MPS.
Iain described the event as, “one of the most exciting I have undertaken for many years! Naturally, I am delighted for Sue and her daughter, however, Mazda should feel proud of the 38.35 percent improvement and 38.32 mpg achieved by the CX7. Considering perceptions of this car as a sporting SUV, these figures are no less than outstanding.”
Mazda Motors UK has claimed not only pole position – with the greatest percentage improvement ever attained over the official ‘combined’ fuel economy figure – but also second place overall with its latest Mazda CX-7 model. The Cookes were delighted to record 43.34 mpg.
Sue stated, “Because I have never regarded my driving style as being expertly economical, I avoided some of the typical ploys of economy drivers, whom I understand ‘coast’ as often as possible to improve their vehicle’s fuel economy, and preferred to stick to a more realistic approach. That we produced a result, which shows a remarkable 48.95 percent improvement over the official government figure, (Mazda’s best-ever result) demonstrates the outstanding integrity and efficiency of Mazda engineering.
Sue Cooke’s Top Three Eco-Driving Tips:
- Use the accelerator carefully, as though an egg (which you did not wish to break) were placed behind the pedal.
- Shift-up the gears earlier, but be prepared to shift down to avoid the engine labouring.
- Always plan your driving ahead and look for opportunities to cruise, avoid unnecessary braking and enjoy your safer driving style.
Economy, marathon and World Record driver, Iain Robertson, explained: “If all drivers were able to reduce their annual fuel consumptions by just 10 percent, the ecological impact of the motorcar would be significantly reduced. That both of our Mazda models produced such startling improvements over the official figures, highlights that most drivers should be able to improve their economy and take pride in the achievement. However, before people think that driving economically means only driving slowly, they should consider that forward planning and driving progressively are the actual keys to success.”
For more details about the Mazda 3 MPS or the Mazda CX7 range, call our Mazda teams on Darlington 0845 112 5008 or Durham on 0845 112 5009, or visit our showrooms.