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How far can the average customer
drive a Nissan QASHQAI on one
tank of fuel? The entire length
of the UK and more if they drive
economically.
Seven test drivers from the
Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE)
in Cranfield, Bedfordshire,
proved this recently when they
took turns piloting a 1.5dCi
QASHQAI from Land’s End on the
southwest coast of England to
John o’Groat’s on the northern
tip of Scotland without once
stopping to refuel. The drivers,
who set off at 6 am on 25
September, averaged 67.35 mpg
(4.2 l/100 km) on the 867 mile
(1,387 km) run – a common route
for UK endurance and economy
tests. To their delight, there
was still another seven litres
of fuel left in the tank when
they crossed the finish line at
17:30 the next day, enough to
cover a further 110 miles (176
km).
The 67.35 mpg achieved on the
trip is equivalent to a 29%
saving over the quoted brochure
figure of 52.3 mpg (combined
urban and extra urban driving
average). If a customer travels
10,000 miles per year, the
saving would equate to £193 per
year, based on current UK fuel
prices.
To
make sure that the average
customer would be able to
replicate NTCE’s economy run,
the team used a standard QASHQAI
production model. Speed limits
were adhered to on minor roads
and a cruising speed of
approximately 60 mph was used on
motorways. Just like during
normal customer usage, the
test-drivers used cruise
control, headlights and
air-conditioning when required.
During the run, the QASHQAI
averaged 111 g/km of CO2,
compared with the quoted
brochure figure of 145 g/km. To
offset the CO2
emitted, NTCE plans to
contribute to a carbon neutral
tree planting scheme.
The economy run is part of
NTCE’s efforts to raise
awareness about fuel-efficient
driving under the company’s
mid-term environmental plan
Nissan Green Program 2010. The
plan, which was unveiled in
December 2006, is aimed at
reducing CO2
emissions from Nissan’s products
and activities around the world,
as well as reducing other
exhaust emissions and increasing
recycling.
In
May, the car was awarded the
maximum five-star rating for
adult occupant protection from
the European New Car Assessment
Programme (Euro NCAP), with the
highest ever recorded score for
any vehicle. |
