11.10.2006
Vauxhall commercial vehicles awarded

It’s a double success for Vauxhall commercial vehicles, taking outright victory and two class wins in the Commercial Fleetworld MPG Marathon.

The event, run by Commercial Fleetworld magazine in conjunction with the British Automobile Association (AA) and fleet supplier ALD Automotive, took in a tough 380-mile (611 kilometers) test route from Bristol to Newquay and back, covering challenging roads across Dartmoor and Exmoor on a combination of fast main roads and twisty secondary routes.

Each vehicle entered had its fuel tank sealed, and was refueled at the end of the event. Then, a calculation was made based on the fuel used, the van’s payload and the distance covered to work out which van was the most cost-effective per tonne, per mile.

The outright winner in the commercial vehicle category, with a cost per tonne, per mile of 16.9 pence (0.25 euros), was the Vauxhall Vivaro 2900 LWB 2.0 CDTi with the model’s new Euro IV 115hp common rail diesel engine, while a new Astravan (powered by a 90hp 1.3-liter CDTi unit) also came out on top of its class.

Vauxhall’s CV brand manager Steve Bryant, who drove the Vivaro, said: “This is the second time that the Vivaro has won the MPG Marathon, and it shows that running costs and economy are as crucial to Vauxhall as they are to its customers. This is a fantastic result and proof that the Vivaro is one of the most fuel-efficient and flexible vans on the market.”