[centaur]

From what I read on Zigwheels it said that different 'owners' participated in the rally (correct me if I am wrong here). I am not sure if all of them would have agreed to the modifications we speak of. Also my guess is that it was done in a closed circuit and not a normal road. Apparently they were driving the car under 'restricted conditions'. Also the average FE was 31kmpl for a petrol and 35kmpl for a diesel with 41kmpl and 45kmpl being the top notch figures.
If we go to speak of modifications done to achieve this then the possibilities are endless like removing ORVMs, removing all seats apart from the driver seat and instead fitting it with a more lighter one etc etc.
OT - I remember a few years back there was a bike called Yamaha Crux and almost everyday there used to be one page full of the owners and their pics on who achieved what. if my memory serves me right the highest figure I read was of 145kmpl from the Crux which was a 100cc bike I supposed. So looking at that 41 for a 1200 cc car doesnt look bad

[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by sudeep11787

Were any modifications done ?
Only way to achieve such figures are as per my view:
1. Rolling Start
2. Inflated low resistance tyres
3. All panel gaps sealed with duct tapes and streamlined mirrors
4. Removal of excess weight : Spare tyre, rear seats, AC components?
5. Windows up, No AC , and continuous drafting behind a truck/huge vehicle in less windy conditions.
6. Good quality fuel, maybe engine tweaked to use less fuel.
7. No electronics and coasting.

It is possible for cars to achieve a higher mileage on a particular type of fuel under specific road conditions. When driving on the national highways, if you were to drive in 5th gear at about 65 km/hr (the optimal speed varies based on the gear ratio), you would be using the least fuel though you would not normally travel at that speed.

A top gear episode featured the Toyota Prius going as fast as it could consuming more fuel than a BMW M-badged sports sedan.

Apart from turning off the AC, one can also take off the pulleys (assuming that is the right term) that are connected to the engine for driving the AC because that creates friction too.

Swapping parts with their low-weight equivalents can reduce fuel consumption too - glass is actually quite heavy and can be replaced with other materials. It's similar to when you get the optician to make lenses out of plastic rather than glass for lighter spectacles.

And did you ever stop to ponder how much wind resistance the number plate and front bumper adds? Also, the design of the engine compartment would have to be changed because air entering through the grille would meet a not-so-aerodynamically designed firewall. And while on the subject of aerodynamics, take off the mud guards too!

[centaur]

Originally Posted by k_nitin_r

A top gear episode featured the Toyota Prius going as fast as it could consuming more fuel than a BMW M-badged sports sedan.

!

OT - I really am not sure how authentic the top gear tests/challenges are. IMO, they are made more for entertainment than reality, and its a well known fact that Clarkson hates hybrids. Given that, it doesnt take much to understand that probably the episode was cooked up. Another such episode was the economy ride to Blackpool illiuminations. May chose a Subaru Lagacy, Hamster chose a Polo bluemotion and Clarkson chose a Jaguar XJ. For almost half of the episode he was riding an empty tank and inspite of revving the car high like a maniac, putting on Aircon, seat heater etc he still managed to reach the destination in the Jag. So I personally dont think it would be a good example to consider here to be frank

[drsingh]

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Marketing gimmick, like what we have seen being done by other manufacturers in the past. As it is, the ARAI FE figures are themselves not real-world figures, but the general public assume that they will get those figures and end up disappointed. Add to it, these kind of tall claims and the disappointment increases.

I agree with your point on skewed expectations, but a standard system serves some purpose.
The ARAI system works well as a reference system and is useful. All a smart buyer needs to know for a buying decision is which car will be more efficient and by how much among the options he/she is considering.

The competition among manufacturers ensures that any discrepancies will be objected to by others car manufacturers.

[speedsatya]

Attaching pics from my Amaze. These figures were over 2 separate drives without AC early mornings and with a limit of 1500 rpm over 11 kms in the city. Tire pressures were 2 psi more than what is specified by Honda



And this is what I saw under similar conditions after changing to 195/60R14



And this is what I have always been getting in the city



So I don't doubt these figures claimed by MUL. What is important is to see what figures the MUL cars give in daily running conditions.

I get 21 -24 kpl with AC on and 195 tires on the highways in the amaze. Our Dezire with 165 tires and similar driving never gave us more than 19 kpl


Sent from my mobile phone , please excuse typos