|
US car market is full of vehicles with
fuel consumptions that would make drivers of any other
nation cry (with the exception of the drivers of the
oil-rich countries, of course). The bigger the vehicle,
the more bizarre the fuel consumption becomes. And,
minivans are (together with big SUVs) symbols of
inefficient transport. But, what about the other
markets, for example, Europe?
We take a minivan, Chrysler Town &
Country, that is also sold in Europe as a benchmark. It
is called the Grand Voyager in Europe. It has two engine
options. One, 3.8 V6 gas-burning version, the same
engine available in
US. And, one 2.8 liter diesel engine with 163 HP which
is not available in US.. Both
have 6-speed automatic transmissions. According to sales figures,
more than 90 percent of Europeans prefer the diesel
engine of this minivan. With more or less the same
performance but about 25 percent less fuel consumption,
it is no surprise, and the diesel is more drivable with
the highest torque delivery starting from as low as 1600
rpm.
Here we compare gas and diesel versions
of Town & Country with even more efficient competitors
from Ford and Renault. The Chrysler is a bit longer and
heavier, but we are looking at the most efficient
European offerings of the same size and they do not come
any bigger than these unless it is a VW Caravelle or a
Mercedes Viano that are based on load carrying models.
2009 model year vehicles are compared.
|
|
Notes: Fuel consumptions are according to the official
EU test cycles. As a result, they may be a bit different
than the US EPA figures, though they should be
relatively consistent. Mpg figures are direct
conversions of the EU test cycle figures and not EPA
consumption figures. Chrysler Town & Country 3.8 engine
EPA fuel consumption figures are 16/23 mpg for
city/highway.
|
