Fiat 500: Number one for fuel economy / Monday, June 30, 2008
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FIAT 500: NUMBER ONE FOR FUEL ECONOMY

As fuel prices rise and fears about global warming increase, all sorts of claims have been made for the abilities of different cars to save fuel or reduce emissions, but there is one, undisputed fact: When it comes to fuel economy, the Fiat 500 1.3 JTD has the lowest fuel consumption of any car sold in Australia.

Taking the legal benchmark figure, the combined average fuel consumption, the Fiat 500 1.3 JTD achieves a remarkable figure of 4.2 litres per 100 km. This places the Fiat ahead of every other car sold in Australia, bar none, and including a host of cars that place fuel economy as the primary purchase motive.

“Taken in isolation, the fuel consumption of the Fiat 500 is a outstanding achievement,” says Andrei Zaitzev, General Manager for Fiat in Australia. “But the Fiat 500 is not a stripped basic car built only for fuel economy, nor is there a massive price penalty up front to own Australia’s most economical car. Not only is it a four seat car, with a reasonable boot, Fiat designed the 500 to be stylish, fun to drive, extremely safe with an outstanding five star EuroNCAP rating and then threw in market leading economy as a bonus feature. The Fiat 500 is a car you want to own for every reason, not just because it achieves great fuel economy, it’s a car you can feel happy and virtuous to own, a car that enables you to do the right thing by the planet and your budget, while having fun doing it!”

The Fiat 500 has proven an outstanding success for Fiat. Despite boosting production by more then 20 per cent, there is still a 100,000 strong waiting list to own a Fiat 500, another feature that none of its rivals can match. Fiat’s environmental impact is further enhanced by the fact that the 500 is just one of a range of highly economical cars that provide Fiat with lowest range average fuel consumption across all the cars it builds. Fiat’s advanced diesel engines even contribute to other car maker’s low consumption vehicles, with Fiat providing its technology and engines to a car makers.

“Its often been said that the most difficult job in the car industry is not building the greenest possible car, its building the greenest possible car that people want to buy,” says Mr Zaitzev. “If a car maker builds a super economy car any only die-hard environmentalists and fuel savers – a tiny proportion of the total market – buy it, then it will have little impact and the exercise has been largely futile. What Fiat has done is produce a car that everyone loves and wants to own and provided it with a supreme level of fuel economy with, thereby, low emissions. This means that thousands of people who don’t place fuel economy and low emissions at the top of their priorities are, nevertheless, making a contribution to the planet and that has to be good for everyone!”

(ends)

Picture caption: Fiat Australia General Manager, Andrei Zaitzev, at the wheel of Australia’s most economical car, the Fiat 500 1.3 JTD.

Official Fuel Consumption for cars sold in Australia

(Source: The Green Vehicle Guide)

Ranking by fuel economy / Make/Model/Details / Fuel Type
/ Fuel Consumption
L/100 m
Combined Figure
1.  10856 / Fiat 500
1.3L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Sedan, 4 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.2
2.  11010 / Fiat 500 1.3 16V JTD
1.3L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Sedan, 4 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.2
3.  9982 / Citroen C3
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.4
4.  9808 / Fiat Punto 16V 90HP
1.3L 4cyl (T),Other 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.4
5.  6017 / Toyota Prius
1.5L 4cyl,CVT 1 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Elec/Petrol 91RON / 4.4
6.  9231 / Citroen C4
1.6L 4cyl (T),Other 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.5
7.  9806 / Fiat Punto 16V 90HP
1.3L 4cyl (T),Man 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.5
8.  10933 / Honda Civic Hybrid
1.3L 4cyl,CVT 1 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Elec/Petrol 91RON / 4.6
9.  10535 / Hyundai i30 1.6 DSL
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.7
10. 10781 / smart fortwo Coupe 52kW
1.0L 3cyl,Auto 5 speed
Coupe, 2 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 4.7
11. 9230 / Citroen C4 9HY
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.8
12. 9805 / Peugeot 207 1.6 HDI XT
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.8
13. 10639 / Peugeot 308
1.6L 4cyl (T),Other 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.8
14. 5918 / smart fortwo Cabrio
0.7L 3cyl (T),Auto 6 speed
Convertible, 2 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 4.8
15. 5919 / smart fortwo City Coupe
0.7L 3cyl (T),Auto 6 speed
Coupe, 2 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 4.8
16. 8656 / Peugeot 307 XS HDI
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Sedan, 4 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.9
17. 10638 / Peugeot 308
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 4.9
18. 10779 / smart fortwo Cabrio 52kW
1.0L 3cyl,Auto 5 speed
Convertible, 2 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 4.9
19. 10780 / smart fortwo Cabrio 62kW
1.0L 3cyl (T),Auto 5 speed
Convertible, 2 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 4.9
20. 10782 / smart fortwo Coupe 62kW
1.0L 3cyl (T),Auto 5 speed
Coupe, 2 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 4.9
21. 10874 / Fiat 500
1.2L 4cyl,Other 5 speed
Sedan, 4 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 5
22. 10446 / Peugeot 207 HDI XT
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Wagon, 4 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5
23. 8659 / Peugeot 307 XS HDI
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Wagon, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5
24. 8685 / Volkswagen Polo TDI 5dr
1.9L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5
25. 10653 / Fiat 500
1.2L 4cyl,Man 4 speed
Sedan, 4 seats,2WD / Petrol 95RON / 5.1
26. 11178 / Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI XS
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.1
27. 11379 / Peugeot 308 1.6 HDI XS Touring
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 6 speed
Wagon, 7 seats,4WD / Diesel / 5.3
28. 10507 / Renault X76 Kangoo
1.5L 4cyl,Man 5 speed
Van, 2 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.3
29. 10570 / Citroen II Berlingo
1.6L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Van, 2 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.4
30. 8661 / Peugeot 307 XSE HDI
2.0L 4cyl (T),Man 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.4
31. 8073 / Fiat Punto JTDM 120HP
1.9L 4cyl (T),Man 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.5
32. 10640 / Peugeot 308
2.0L 4cyl (T),Man 6 speed
Sedan, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.5
33. 10359 / Skoda Roomster
1.9L 4cyl (T),Man 5 speed
Wagon, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.5
34. 8998 / Volkswagen Golf Trendline
1.9L 4cyl (T),Auto 6 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.5
35. 9000 / Volkswagen Golf Trendline
1.9L 4cyl (T),Auto 6 speed
Hatch, 5 seats,2WD / Diesel / 5.5
For further information:

Fiat media web site: http://media.ateco.com.au/

Andrei Zaitzev / Edward Rowe
General Manager ~ Fiat / Public Relations Manager
Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd / Ateco Automotive Pty Ltd
Ph: (02) 9701 8035 / Ph: (02) 9701 8015
Mob: 0400 166 147 / Mob: 0407 913 244
Fax: (02) 9701 3533 / Fax: (02) 9701 3555
E-mail: / E-mail:
Fiat Media web site: http://media.ateco.com.au/

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Release Number: 252fiat-AU

Date of Issue: 30 June 2008. Time of Issue: 15:32:37