Hyundai i20 Delivers Remarkable Fuel Economy Of 4.23L/100km

SYDNEY – Aug 16, 2010: When it comes to fuel efficiency and economy, Hyundai Motor Company Australia has a firm focus on delivering leading vehicles to the Australian Market. In 2009, the Santa Fe-R took out the SUV class in the transcontinental Global Green Challenge achieving outstanding fuel consumption figures of 5.1L/100km driving between Darwin and Adelaide. Now the all-new i20 is the latest in the Hyundai product line-up to confirm its economy credentials.

Legendary driver and multiple Australian Rally Champion Ed Ordynski took on the challenge of driving a 1.4 litre i20 Active from Sydney to Brisbane on a single tank of fuel. Navigating the notorious Pacific Highway, heading north along the east coast from Sydney, during peak NSW school holiday traffic and sharing the road with the seemingly endless parade of caravans, trailers, trucks and of course mandatory road works.... it was undoubtedly a tough challenge.

No contrived routes were permitted, no driving with aerodynamic calculations, no tricks or treats, just a plan to drive as efficiently as possible, simulating a real-world driving conditions in the hope of making it to Brisbane on one tank of fuel.

In fact Brisbane became a distant memory as the feisty i20 powered onwards, thanks to the latest generation design of its high performance engine, including continuously variable valve timing (CVVT), an aluminium block and offset crankshaft.

Past Brisbane, along the Sunshine coast, through Maryborough and Childers, until the Queensland city of Bundaberg, some 1269 km from the start in Sydney, became the i20’s final destination. The i20 had travelled the distance on a single tank of fuel (53.63 litres)* and delivered outstanding fuel economy of 4.23L/100km (66.78 mpg).

“I was quite astonished,” said Ordynski. “I originally thought Sydney to Brisbane on one tank seemed an impossible task, especially on the Pacific Highway but then the i20 just kept on going - far beyond our wildest expectations. It was a remarkable journey and a truly special result.”

With an average fuel consumption of 11L/100km for passenger vehicles in Australia, the Hyundai i20 has the potential to halve fuel costs, equivalent to saving up to $1200 per year.

Hyundai Motor Company Australia’s Marketing Director Oliver Mann said, “The results of this economy challenge validate further the title of ECOcar Magazine’s 2010 Car of the Year, recently awarded to i20. Hyundai is committed to setting the pace for the auto industry when it comes to fuel economy and the intelligent application of cost-effective technologies. Our congratulations go to Ed - it really is great news for Australian light car buyers.”

i20 is the newest addition to Hyundai’s fuel efficient i-series line up, joining the multi-award winning i30, ix35, i45 and iLoad/iMax.