Peugeot has set a new fuel economy record with its latest 208 diesel model clocking up an average of 141.2mpg in an official test run.
The new 1.6-litre 100ps BlueHDi model covered more than 1,300 miles using just 9.45 gallons of fuel.
The performance was achieved on the Peugeot test circuit at Belchamp, France and was supervised by the French Type Approval Authority, UTAC – the Union Technique de l’Automobile, du motocycle et du Cycle.
Fitted with a stop/start system to assist fuel efficiency, the new 208 – which will be on sale in the summer – has an official fuel figure of 94.2mpg and carbon emissions of just 79g/km. This is a new benchmark for a standard production model powered by an internal combustion engine.
A team of drivers each doing stints of between three and four hours took 38 hours to complete the long distance economy test in the five-speed manual car.