OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Ettington Chase, United Kingdom, Sep 27, 2010
The smart cdi – the World’s CO2 champion – has once again run rings round its rivals in the annual ALD Automotive/Total ECO 10 MPG Marathon, winning the event for the second year in a row with an impressive 2.984 l/100 km.
Driven by smart eco-driver Mick Linford, the smart fortwo cdi pulse coupé recorded the winning figure over the 400-mile route that covered A- and B-roads and motorways throughout Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
With emissions of only 86 g/km, the frugal, 54bhp smart cdi proved to be the ideal choice for the two-day challenge that demonstrates how careful eco-driving can increase safety, dramatically reduce fuel costs and lower CO2 emissions.
Difficult driving conditions stopped Mick bettering his 2009-winning result of 2.918 l/100 km, but he still improved on the cdi’s official combined fuel economy figure of 3.3 l/100 km by over 10 per cent.
No other car has beaten or even equalled the figure returned by the smart cdi in the MPG Marathon’s eight-year history, yet Mick feels that the smart has the potential for an even greater result.
“With the right conditions I really believe that we could achieve over 2.825 l/100 km from the smart cdi, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for next year,” explained Mick, whose past smart driving exploits include driving a petrol smart from London to Edinburgh on a single tank of fuel.
Gary Savage, Managing Director Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “This fantastic result shows once again that the smart is unrivalled when it comes to combining unique style and fun driving dynamics with low ownership costs and class-leading environmental compatibility.”
The smart cdi costs from £9,540 on the road.
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