“The 82g/km CO2 and 91.1mpg 120hp 1.6-litre BlueHDi Active is truly incredible. Real-world economy will no doubt be a different kettle of fish, but if we can even reach two thirds of those official numbers that would be great”.
These words were written in my 308 introduction back in late October. But two thirds of the way through our six-month test and we’re not even close.
A 47.7mpg average equates to just 52% of the official combined 91.1mpg and only 59% of the official urban 80.7mpg (the latter perhaps a fairer marker given my mostly city-based driving). As reported with previous long-term cars in this magazine, Peugeot is far from alone in this ‘optimistic’ approach.
It’s one that seems to particularly afflict diesels too, as anecdotal evidence suggests real-world petrol mpg is closer to official figures. Which made me get a bit cynical: are carmakers not only working the official lab test to their best advantage overall, but also giving diesel mpg figures an extra massage to create low-CO2 marketing headlines for entire car ranges (as diesels invariably offer the best mpg of any range bar plug-in hybrids)?
Company car drivers may be thankful for lower BIK tax, but associated fuel savings from this 308’s “incredible” fuel figure remain just that: hard to believe (or achieve).
