Toyota Prado, Ford Ranger, popular hybrids use more fuel than claimed in real-world Australian tests

Some of Australia's top-selling cars – from the Ford Ranger ute and Toyota Prado 4WD, to a slew of new hybrids – have used up to 33 per cent more fuel than claimed on the windscreen sticker in new real-world testing.

The latest round of tests conducted by the Australian Automobile Association – with Federal Government funding – has placed the real-world fuel consumption of 30 vehicles.

Twenty-five of the vehicles tested consumed more fuel than claimed by the manufacturer, up to 33 per cent in the case of the Hyundai Kona Hybrid – and 26 per cent for the Kia Stonic turbo.

The Ford Ranger consumed 6 per cent more fuel than claimed in bi-turbo, four-wheel-drive form, while the new Toyota Prado used 8 per cent more than quoted.

Six of the 30 vehicles also exceeded noxious emissions limits for new vehicles in the AAA's testing, despite meeting the standards in lab testing conducted by the government.

Two vehicles surpassed the limits in real-world testing across more than one type of pollutant measured by the AAA, both Toyotas: the Fortuner 4WD, and HiAce LWB van.

The AAA has now conducted 'real-world' testing on 114 vehicles since August 2023, 77 per cent of which have used more than quoted on the fuel label.

The program is designed to uncover the true fuel consumption of vehicles on real roads – and in real conditions – rather than when strapped to a 'rolling road' in a laboratory for mandatory government testing.

It says it generates its real-world results "on roads in and around Geelong, Victoria," but uses "strict test protocols to ensure fuel consumption and emissions results are repeatable, and to minimise the influence of human factors such as driving style and changing traffic flows."

Funding by the Federal Government – with support from both major parties – covers the testing of 200 vehicles, the AAA says.

"It's becoming clear that carmakers continue to optimise their vehicles' performance for lab testing, meaning new cars are too often over-stating their improvements in fuel use and environmental performance," AAA managing director Michael Bradley said in a media statement.

"Some vehicles perform as advertised, but most do not, and our Program is seeking to reward carmakers that deliver genuine financial and environmental savings."

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner

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