For two days and 1105km, 21 passenger vehicle manufacturers and 53 crews took to the Mpumalanga Lowveld for the Total Economy Run.

The 36th edition of this annual motoring and motorsport event was a hotly contested affair to name the most fuel-efficient petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles in the passenger market today.
 
Motor manufacturers and dealers entered their petrol, diesel and hybrid-powered models in various classes for engine capacities from 1100cc to 3001cc. Each vehicle had a crew of two — driver and navigator — and an appointed observer monitored the crews on the route. Drivers had to keep to specific speeds and arrive at check points at specified times. This prohibits drivers from traveling at unrealistically low speeds. The Total Economy Run 2012 was measured in litres per 100km and was calculated to five decimal places. The winner of each class was awarded a trophy for the lowest fuel consumption.
 
According to the results, the most fuel efficient vehicle in South Africa is the Ford Fiesta 1.6 Trend Auto diesel model driven by Stuart Greig and Wynand Gerber, with a fuel consumption of 4.48524 litres per 100km. For the overall petrol category, the winning trophy was presented to Jeannette Kok Kritzinger and Riette Wannenburg in a Peugeot 107, with a fuel consumption of 5.063 litres per 100km.

A Toyota Yaris HSD placed second in the overall petrol category, with a Toyota Aygo wrapping up the top three. In the diesel sector, a Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion took second place, followed by a diesel 1.6 Renault Megane in third.

"Our aim is to link a meaningful CSI activity to the staging of the Total Economy Run. We are a sponsor of the Leopard Conservation Project and believe that helping them to build a rehabilitation centre for these beautiful, but increasingly threatened animals, is a very worthy cause for Total South Africa to be involved in," said Nadia Vosloo, Total South Africa's Brand and Dealer Communications Manager.

Access the full results here...