Peugeot 308 with 3-Cylinder engine sets new Fuel Economy Record. Sort of.

A new Peugeot 308 fitted with Peugeot’s Pure Tech 3-Cylinder eTHP engine sets new economy record of 91.9mpg.

Fuel economy records are a bit like official economy figures – they have little relevance in the real world.

But that doesn’t stop car makers wanting a few headlines proving just how economical their cars can be, and that’s exactly what Peugeot has done with a fuel economy run in a new 308 fitted with their new 130bhp 1.2-liter PureTech three-cylinder turbo petrol engine.

But instead of running the 308 in the real world, Peugeot chose to take their car off to the Almeria circuit in Spain – under the auspices of the UTAC (Union Technique de l’Automobile, Motocycle et Cycle) – to set a new record for fuel economy and distance driven on a full tank.

Using several drivers over 32 hours, the 308 managed to cover 1124.7 miles on its 11.3 galloon tank for an impressive average of 99.1mpg.

That’s a big improvement on the 61.4mpg official test figure for the 308 fitted with the 130bhp 3-Cylinder petrol and does prove the 308 is capable of stellar MPG.

But in the real world you’ll be lucky to get much better than a 50mpg average so, although the record is impressive, don’t use it as any sort of benchmark to make a buying decision.