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Transporter Delivers Winning Economy at MPG Marathon

MILTON KEYNES – October 16, 2008: A Volkswagen Transporter has demonstrated how cost-effective it is to run by winning its class in the ALD Automotive TOTAL Excellium MPG Marathon 2008 by achieving 52.48 mpg after a challenging competition in real-world conditions.

As the only medium or large van to achieve more than 50 mpg during the event, the Transporter T28 SWB also used less fuel and had the lowest cost per mile than its rivals thanks to an economical combination of performance and flexibility from its 1.9-litre TDI PD engine delivering 102 PS with 250 Nm of torque at 2,500 rpm.

The official results also show that the Transporter travelled almost three miles further per gallon over the 412 mile route than its most direct rival in the competition, the Mercedes Vito 109 CDi, and was also competitive against smaller vans, with a lower cost per tonne/mile than a Citroën Nemo.

‘This clearly demonstrates how cost-effective and economical the Volkswagen Transporter can be in real-world driving, and how operators can cut fuel costs by using more economical driving techniques,’ said Simon Elliott, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.

‘The MPG figures speak for themselves, but what they don’t show is how comfortable and easy to drive the Transporter is,’ said Doug Powell, a retired public sector Fleet Manager who drove the Transporter in the MPG Marathon.

‘It drives like a car and the quality of the driver’s environment makes long spells at the wheel much more appealing,’ he continued.

The real-world conditions for the MPG marathon included a variety of A and B roads plus motorway driving over a fixed route from Bristol to Macclesfield and back via Wales and the Peak District with the Transporter carrying 50 per cent of its payload.

Full details of the results of the MPG Marathon will be published in a special supplement with the November issue of Fleet World magazine.