World Economy record for Peugeot - 1445.6 kilometres on one tank of gas

A husband and wife team of economy driving experts has set a remarkable record for fuel economy from a standard automatic Peugeot 407 HDi sedan. Driving a new 407 HDi sedan each, John Taylor set out to drive from Darwin to Adelaide on less than AUD$150 (EU 94 Euro = US$115) worth of fuel, and wife Helen wanted to see just how far she could get on one tank of fuel in an automatic diesel car. Travelling 1445.6 kilometres on just one tank, Helen’s achievement is believed to be a world record for the longest distance driven on one tank of fuel for an automatic vehicle while John achieved his goal completing the 2991km journey on just 115.55 litres giving him an average fuel consumption of 3.86 litres per 100km (73.57 mpg).

John Taylor set a world economy record previously when he drove a Peugeot 307 HDi around Australia using only AUD$540 (US$414) worth of fuel, averaging an amazing 3.5 litres per 100km’s during his journey.

With the release of the new 407 HDi model, John and his wife Helen were invited by Peugeot Automobiles Australia’s Managing Director, Rob Dommerson, to put it to the test - by driving across Australia, through some of the country’s harshest conditions.

Setting off from Darwin last Tuesday, the couple travelled in convoy down the Stuart Highway and arrived in Adelaide lunchtime on Sunday. (rest day included in Alice Springs).

Both John and Helen were cleary impressed with the 407 HDi. “The Peugeot 407 is an amzingly economical vehicle, so safe and well equipped, not to mention such stylish looks that created a great deal of interest along the way” said John. Helen added “The 407 has all the creature comforts you would want on a long drive, and it has the most comfortable seats I have ever driven in.”

The entire journey was strictly scrutinized, including official police observance by Senior Constable Malcolm Durrant from the Victorian Police Force. The vehicles were also inspected by the NRMA 'Motoring & Services Dept', to have their odometers checked for accuracy and to validate the fuel tanks were factory fitted.

John and Helen Taylor’s Top Ten Tips for Economical Driving:

1. Preparation - Ensure the Vehicle is in top tune, by having it serviced regularly. Watch for black exhaust smoke, which indicates the engine is burning fuel needlessly. Check tyre pressures regularly. Soft tyres not only result in up to 5% of your fuel being wasted, they also wear out quicker.

2. Attitude - Relax! Drive smoothly. Fast starts burn four times as much fuel as gentle acceleration. Observe the traffic flow ahead to avoid sudden braking.

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